WNBA Legend Sue Bird Takes On Major Role With USA Women's Basketball Team
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The Team USA women's national team is getting a new managing director, as Sue Bird has agreed to the role for the 2028 Olympic cycle, per Chantel Jennings and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Bird has had an illustrious career in the basketball world that has included five gold medals in the Olympics and four World Cup titles for Team USA.
Sue Bird #6 of Team United States celebrates after defeating Team Japan 90-75 to win the women's gold medal match between Team United States and Team Japan on day sixteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic...
Sue Bird #6 of Team United States celebrates after defeating Team Japan 90-75 to win the women's gold medal match between Team United States and Team Japan on day sixteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on August 08, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. More
Photo byMore basketball news: Timberwolves' Mike Conley 'Excited' Over Draymond Green Choking Players
Bird first debuted in professional basketball with the Seattle Storm after being picked No. 1 overall in the 2002 WNBA Draft. She would spend her entire career with the Storm until her retirement at the conclusion of the 2022 campaign.
After averaging 14.4 points, six assists, and 1.7 steals per game during her first season in the WNBA, she would finish No. 2 in Rookie of the Year voting to future Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings. It was still enough to earn WNBA First Team honors and an All-Star selection that season.
Over the course of her professional basketball career, Bird would amass 13 All-Star nods, eight All-WNBA team selections, and four championships.
More basketball news: 'I'm El Jefe', Spurs' Gregg Popovich Has Epic Press Conference After Promotion
Bird has known success for most of her basketball career, but was also faced with adversity shortly after starting her tenure at the University of Connecticut.
Eight games into her freshman year, Bird tore her ACL and lost that year of eligibility, given the number of games played.
She came back in a major way for her sophomore season, leading the Huskies to a 36-1 record that ended with winning the 2000 NCAA Division 1 women's basketball tournament.
The next season ended with a loss in the Final Four, but Bird's senior year at UConn proved to be a precursor for what would turn into a legendary basketball career.
Bird led her school to a 39-0 record to win another championship, the Wade Trophy, the Honda Sports Award, and the Naismith Award, given to the college player of the year.
In this next chapter of her career, Bird will look to continue her basketball success and win another gold medal, but in a different capacity with Team USA. The squad in 2028 may feature past teammates of Bird, as well as many new faces who have been a part of the recent wave of success and star power taking over women's basketball.
For more NBA news and rumors, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man United given transfer green light to sign dream Matheus Cunha teammate
Youri Tielemans has refused to rule out a transfer this summer after being linked with Manchester United for years. Tielemans, 28, joined Aston Villa from Leicester City on a free transfer a month before United paid Chelsea an initial fee of £55million for Mason Mount in the summer of 2023. The former Anderlecht midfielder is halfway through the four-year contract he signed that offseason. Advertisement After an inconsistent first season at the club, Tielemans was almost ever-present last term, with the club's players and supporters voting him their Player of the Season. He has now acknowledged how well he performed during a press conference before Belgium played Wales in a 2026 World Cup qualifier - while refusing to rule out a move away from his current club. READ MORE: Mbeumo signs, £60m striker, five sold - Manchester United's dream attack after transfer overhaul READ MORE: Viktor Gyokeres to Man United transfer twist as Victor Osimhen responds to deal "I was constantly at a very high level and was very involved in Villa's game," Tielemans said. "I have made progress in all areas. Advertisement "Does that make me think about a transfer? Nothing is ruled out, but I am not really thinking about that. "I am doing well at Villa. I feel a lot of confidence from the club and the coach." The comments open the door to a potential move to United, should the club decide to test the waters with an offer for him. Tielemans' individual performances were not enough to secure Champions League qualification for next season, as Villa losing at Old Trafford on the final day means they will instead play in the Europa League. In an Instagram post after that match, Tielemans acknowledged it was "frustrating to end the season this way." A new midfielder is among United's priority targets, with Christian Eriksen set to depart the club when his contract expires at the end of this month. There is also still uncertainty over the future of Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo due to their respective current contract situations. Advertisement Tielemans, though, could complement the already-signed Matheus Cunha and the prospective arrival of Bryan Mbeumo. There is the potential for Bruno Fernandes to form a partnership with the Belgian in central midfield. The Belgian maestro's creativity could provide an extra edge for United in attack, and help unleash Cunha's full potential at his new club. Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis. Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. Advertisement You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories. And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Murray open to coaching return 'at some stage'
Andy Murray is open to a return to coaching "at some stage" but says he still has plenty to learn about the role. The 38-year-old, who retired from tennis at the 2024 Olympics, joined long-time rival Novak Djokovic's coaching team last November. Advertisement However, the pair parted company in May 2025 after just four tournaments together, with former number one Djokovic stating he "couldn't get more" out of their partnership. Murray was positive about the six months he and Djokovic spent together, hailing the "unique" experience of working with "one of the best athletes of all time", while also stating he had not planned on making the transition into coaching quite so soon after hanging up his racquet. "I would do it again at some stage. I don't think that will happen immediately," he told BBC Sport's Clare Balding at the unveiling of the Andy Murray Arena at the Queen's Club on Monday. "I wasn't planning on going into coaching as soon as I finished playing but it was a pretty unique opportunity. It was a chance to learn from one of the best athletes of all time. Advertisement "You also learn a lot about how to work with a team. As an individual athlete, you have a team of people around you, but you're the focal point whereas when you're coaching an individual, you're working with a physio, physical trainers, agents, and you need to know how to get your message across to the player and find out what makes them tick. That was the thing I learned and something I need to work on if I want to do it again in the future. "It was a brilliant opportunity for me. We got to spend some really nice moments away from the court. Results weren't as we wanted but we gave it a go. "We'll see about coaching in the future but I don't think that will happen for a while." Murray coached Novak Djokovic at the 2025 Australian Open and three other tournaments [Getty Images] 'Men's tennis is in a great place' While the jam-packed nature of tennis' schedule means focus has already shifted to the grass-court swing, this year's men's singles final at Roland Garros will be remembered as one of the all-time greats. Advertisement Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz recovered from two sets down and saved three championship points to beat world number one Jannik Sinner after five hours and 29 minutes – the longest French Open final in history. The pair, who occupy the top two spots in the ATP rankings, have now shared the past six major titles between them and Sunday's final – their first meeting in a Grand Slam trophy match – confirmed the arrival of a new blockbuster rivalry in men's tennis. Murray believes Sunday's final is confirmation the sport is in a "great place" and tipped Britain's Jack Draper, ranked fourth in the world, to be part of the success. "They're both brilliant athletes and very different personalities, which I think for fans is really exciting," Murray said. Advertisement "For me, particularly Alcaraz has an exciting brand of tennis to watch, and they complement each other well. They've already had some brilliant matches and from what I've been told, it was one of the best finals for a long time." "Moving forward, men's tennis is in a great place. People always worry at the end of a generation of players what's going to happen with the sport next, but generally sports continue to evolve and, in most cases, improve. "Jack [Draper]'s right in the mix just now and doing extremely well. He's going to give himself opportunities to win majors over the next five, 10 years." However, while heaping praise on the next generation, Murray was keen to emphasise that Alcaraz and Sinner have a long way to go to match the 20 years of dominance achieved by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Advertisement "The sport's in a really good place but it's important not to forget what the guys have done before them, what Roger, Rafa and Novak have done," he added. "Winning 20-plus majors is something exceptional and it's easy in today's age to forget a little bit about that. I saw some pundits saying if [Alcaraz and Sinner] went on court against Rafa at the French Open, they would be favourites going into that match with Rafa in his prime. "Alcaraz and Sinner are on the path to being two of the best, no doubt about that, but it takes time to build what Roger, Rafa, and Novak had. We'll see whether they get that." 'Queen's is always special for me' Murray won the last of his five Queen's singles titles in 2016 [Getty Images] Murray is synonymous with Queen's. The Scot is the most successful player in the tournament's history, winning a record five men's singles titles between 2009 and 2016. He also won the men's doubles with Feliciano Lopez in 2019. Advertisement From this year, however, his name will not just adorn the honour's board but also the centre court at Queen's Club, which has been renamed the Andy Murray Arena. "It's pretty surreal," he said. "A number of tennis courts around the world are named after great players. It's a bit strange to have a court named after you. "I have a lot of amazing memories at this place and on that court. It's by far my most successful tournament that I competed in. "I won my first ATP match here. I didn't dream of winning Wimbledon or being world number one, I just wanted to be a professional tennis player and play on the ATP tour. Moments like that, you remember; it was a special moment for me. Advertisement "Winning the tournament feels great and winning major events is the pinnacle of the sport but that wasn't my dream growing up. You remember moments like the place where you won your first tour match and that's why Queen's is always special to me." This grass-court season marks the return of women's tennis to Queen's for the first time in 52 years, with singles and doubles events taking place from 9 to 15 June before the men take to the courts the following week (16-22 June). "Having women's tennis back at Queen's for the first time in over 50 years is brilliant," Murray said. "I hope the event gets well attended. They've got a brilliant field – I think 10 of the top 20 women are here. There'll be some brilliant matches and I always look forward to the grass season." Advertisement
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Overwhelmed' Wassell relishing return to Scotland squad
Emma Wassell says the gallows humour of the Scotland dressing room is keeping a smile on her face during what she describes as an "overwhelming" return to the international camp. After major surgery to remove a tumour that was found in her chest last September, the 30-year-old lock is now targeting August's World Cup in England after being included in the initial 38-woman training squad. Advertisement As she readjusts to the demands of international rugby, the former Loughborough Lightning star admits she's enjoying some lively locker-room banter. "They keep me very, very humble shall I say," Wassell said. "I get a lot of grief" Any time the tumour's brought up everyone's like; 'oh, she had a tumour? Who knew?', we joke about it a lot. "There's a lot of banter around and any time I don't get my way, I try to say; 'guys, I had a tumour', and they're like 'shut up!', so it's pretty light-hearted." The fact she can now laugh about it all shows not just how far she's come physically, but also mentally. Not that the reintroduction to international-level training has been easy. Advertisement "Something I've found quite overwhelming - given I've trained for three or four months myself – is to now be put back in this environment where all the girls are pushing each other and there's a level of pressure around you. "It's been a little bit overwhelming but in the best way possible. " Her aim now is making the final World Cup squad for a tournament she thinks could be a game-changer for Scottish rugby. "It's the closest I'll definitely get to a home World Cup and I just think it could be huge for women's rugby in general," she added. "For Scotland, it will really push us on a bit more in terms of growing the game."
