'Retirement was boring' - WNBA legend Sue Bird expresses excitement over her appointment as new managing director of USA Women's National Team
WNBA legend Sue Bird expresses excitement over her appointment as first managing director of USA Women's National Team (Image Credit: Getty Images)
The
USA Women's national team
now has
Sue Bird
as its first managing director. Bird is a five-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time World Cup title holder. USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley called her a 'huge asset' and showed trust in her leadership ahead of the
2026 FIBA Women's World Cup
and the
2028 Summer Olympic Games
. Bird expressed excitement at taking up the new responsibility entrusted to her.
Operation Sindoor
India foils Pakistan's attack on Jammu airport: What we know so far
How India used 'Sudarshan Chakra' to take down Pak drones, missiles
Operation Sindoor: Several airports in India closed - check full list
Sue Bird expressed excitement on her appointment as managing director of USA Women's National Team
The 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Sue Bird, is appointed as the first managing director of USA Women's National Team. She has been a noted basketball player with an extensive presence in the USA Basketball.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
How to seamlessly scale and efficiently manage network traffic - Google Cloud: Future of Infrastructure
CIO | Google Cloud, AMD
Undo
Sue Bird made her basketball debut in 2000 in the Jones Cup tournament. With an impressive 162-9 record accumulated during her 22-year-long career, she rightfully earns the new position.
Talking about the appointment at NBC's 'TODAY' show, she said:
'I'm excited.' She further elaborated, ' Obviously, as a player, I was able to represent our country, so (now) to do it in this position as well.'
Further, she stated, 'It's a huge honor to be named managing director of USA Basketball's Women's National Team.
Representing the United States has been one of the greatest privileges of my life, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to support the next generation as they carry that legacy on.'
Sue Bird Named USA Basketball Women's National Team Managing Director
Though Bird retired from her playing career in 2022, she kept herself engaged in various activities, which kept her associated with the game in some way. Talking about her post-retirement life, she said:
'I know it seems like I have a ton on my schedule, a ton on my calendar, which at times, is true. But the best part is that it's all in the world of basketball, which is a world that I enjoy being in, a world I know really well. So it doesn't feel like work."
Referring to her time after retirement in 2022, she jokingly commented, "You know, retirement was boring."
Sue Bird | Resilience & Basketball | Talks at Google
Sue Bird's career in the USA Basketball is the stuff legends are made of. She set the record for the most assists in her career, won four championships, and was a WNBA All-Star 13 times. Bird's vast experience and deep association with basketball will provide the unbeatable USA Women's National Team the perfect tutelage as it gears up for the upcoming 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympic Games.
USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley showed trust in Sue Bird's capabilities while making the announcement
USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley showered praise on Sue Bird while announcing her appointment as the new managing director of the USA Women's National Team. Acknowledging the formidable presence of Bird in the USA Women's Basketball, he said:
'Having known Sue for many years, I'm confident her leadership and knowledge will be a huge asset to the continued success of our women's national team program.'
He further said, 'And we're excited to have her join us as we head towards the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympic Games.'
Sue Bird Takes Over USA Basketball: A New Era Begins 🇺🇸 । USA TODAY NEWS
Tooley recognized Bird as one of the most respected people in the basketball community and showed trust that under her guidance, the National Team would achieve new heights of success.
It is worth mentioning that Team USA has managed a long winning streak in both the Olympic Game and the World Championship formats since 2006. Sue Bird called her new role a 'no win' position given the high pressure that comes along with the responsibility.
Also Read:
WNBA star Sue Bird believes that Caitlin Clark is the best solution to America's huge problem
Is Sue Bird the best choice for the role of managing director of the USA Women's National Team? Share your views in the comments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
35 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘You expect India to be here, but same could be said of South Africa too': Pat Cummins on WTC final
Australia captain Pat Cummins has said he expected India to be in the World Test Championship final while brushing aside any notion that South Africa had an easy way to the showpiece event set to begin at Lord's from Wednesday. Having already won the 50-over World Cup and a WTC final in succession, Cummins has the opportunity to make history by becoming the first captain to win successive WTC. Defending champions Australia start as firm favourites against South Africa and Cummins when asked if he was surprised about the opponent for the final said, 'In some ways you expect India to be around. England have been quite strong at home and New Zealand always seem to get to finals. But the same case could be made for South Africa in ICC events. We just don't see a lot of them in Test cricket but it's nice and different to an Australia-India final.' Soon after South Africa qualified for the final, former England captain Michael Vaughan ridiculed their road to Lord's saying they beat a team of nobodies pointing to the fact that they didn't play Australia and England in the current WTC cycle. But Cummins chose to keep aside all of it. 'You can only beat who you come up against. Our route to the final was pretty tough but I don't blame South Africa for having a different route,' Cummins said. Coming into the final, there is a bit of unknown about how these two teams which enjoy a storied rivalry would face-off at Lord's and Cummins said he expects nothing less from South Africa. 'It's hard to say because there are so many unknowns. We haven't played them much [with their last Test series ending in an easy Australian victory at home in 2022-23] but you've got to be really well balanced to make the final. Their bowling has always stood out and it's no different now. [Keshav] Maharaj is a really solid spinner and they've always got plenty of quick bowlers who pose a challenge.' A win at Lord's would also be a high point for Australia's attack which includes the famous four of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Cummins. The upcoming Ashes could well turn out to be the last time all four could play and the Lord's final is certainly the first big match all the four will feature in. 'We've got quite a few players who are past their mid-30s and there seems to be a natural attrition rate into the late‑30s. If you'd asked me a year or two ago I would have said: 'It's going to be a huge change. There's a little bit to be worried about.' But we've seen Josh Inglis, Sam Konstas, [Nathan] McSweeney debut throughout [Australia's] summer. [Beau] Webster's come in plus a few others have debuted in white-ball cricket. I don't think the transition will be as jarring as we first thought,' Cummins added.
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
European shares stable as markets eye Sino-US trade talks
European stocks were steady on Tuesday, shrugging off modest losses from the previous session, as investors stayed on edge awaiting fresh signals from the second day of tense U.S.-China trade negotiations. The continent-wide STOXX 600 held its ground at 553.12 points, as of 0703 GMT. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top Picks: The $45 "Luxury" Beauty Serum Experts Swear By Best of Beauty Get Coupon Undo The spotlight remains on the talks in London between the world's two biggest economies, as investors eagerly watch for any signs of progress or a thaw in relations. Play Video Play Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 31:09 Loaded : 1.36% 00:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 31:09 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Ads By Google Ad will close in 25 Skip Ad U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday put a positive spin on the talks, without divulging any details on how the trade war, that has threatened to disrupt global supply chains, could de-escalate. Gains in automakers, which rose 1%, were offset by financial services and industrial shares, which fell 0.8% and 0.4%, respectively. Live Events Among stocks, Novo Nordisk gained nearly 2% after a report said activist hedge fund Parvus Asset Management is building a stake in the drugmaker. Bellway gained 4% after the British homebuilder raised its forecast for full-year volume production. Shares of Aberdeen gained 5% after upgraded the fund manager's stock to "overweight" from "neutral".
Mint
38 minutes ago
- Mint
Nicholas Pooran retires: LSG batter shocks fans with retirement at just 29, ‘This was very difficult'
Nicholas Pooran shocked fans by retiring from international cricket at just 29. Pooran played the most T20I matches for the West Indies and is also the highest run-scorer for the country in the format. 'This was very difficult, but I have thought long and hard about this,' Nicholas Pooran wrote on Instagram. 'After much thought and reflection, I've decided to announce my retirement from International Cricket. This game we love has given and will continue to give so much - joy, purpose, unforgettable memories, and a chance to represent the people of the West Indies,' Pooran continued. 'Wearing that maroon, standing for the anthem, and giving everything I had each time I stepped on the field... it's hard to put into words what that truly means to me,' he added. His exit is a big blow, especially when the team is trying to rebuild after missing the 2023 ODI World Cup. In 2023, he hit the most sixes in T20s (170). During IPL 2025, scored over 500 runs with 40 sixes, the highest this season. He didn't play Test matches and debuted in T20Is in 2016, followed by ODIs in 2019. He hasn't played an ODI since the World Cup qualification miss. Pooran also captained the team in 2022 but won only 8 out of 30 games. He stepped down after West Indies' early exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup. With the next T20 World Cup only eight months away, West Indies must now find a strong middle-order replacement. His fans expressed their frustration over his retirement. 'Whyyyy Nicky?? this is not done.. You're one of my most favorite player from WI, For the upcoming WI tour of India , I was soo excited!! But this breaks my heart,' wrote an Indian fan. 'At 29, I could never accept this as a Trinidadian and West Indian, you have so much more to give the people of the Caribbean,' came from another fan. Lucknow Super Giants bought him for ₹ 21 crore, and he proved his worth. Once the strongest contender for Orange Cap, Nicholas Pooran lost his flow as IPL 2025 progressed. He scored 524 runs in 14 matches with a massive strike rate of 196.25, his best ever in IPL. However, LSG started losing matches, and Pooran became inconsistent.
