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New York Post
09-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Sue Bird taking on new career challenge with USA Basketball ‘puzzle'
For years, Sue Bird called the shots on the court as a point guard. Now, the legendary WNBA star will be doing it off the court for USA Basketball. On Thursday, Bird was appointed USA Basketball's first managing director for the women's national team. For years, the women's national team roster and coaching staff had been selected by a committee. But that will change moving forward as Bird will lead those decisions, starting with next year's World Cup in Berlin. 'I know what I bring, I know what my perspective gives, and I know what my experience can provide, and there's also things that I need to learn,' Bird said during a press conference at Nike NYC Headquarters in Manhattan. 'There's also things I want to talk to other people, pick brains, maybe ask people what their experiences have been like, so that combination will probably be my next however many months.' Bird, a five-time Olympic champion, wasn't initially interested in the opportunity when USA Basketball first approached her about it shortly after she retired from playing in 2022. 6 WNBA legend Sue Bird in attendance for the New York Liberty vs the Atlanta Dream during Round 1 Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA playoffs at Barclays Center. Michelle Farsi/New York Post 6 Seattle Storm's Sue Bird in action against the Los Angeles Sparks in a WNBA basketball game Saturday, June 6, 2015. AP Grant Hill, who held the position on the men's side from 2021 to 2024, has been recruiting Bird to join USA Basketball as an executive for some time now. His efforts got to the point where Bird called him an 'annoying older brother.' But as time passed, Bird opened up to the idea. 'The exact amount of months, years, when they first brought this up is a little blurry, but I hadn't been retired that long, and I still very much felt like a player,' Bird said. 'I hadn't really made that adjustment in my mind. So the idea of picking a team, I was like, 'What? I don't want any part of that.' So I think just time naturally did that, but also talking to Grant really played a big role in just making me see things in a different way.' Liberty star Breanna Stewart, who played alongside Bird for several seasons in Seattle, believes she's a perfect fit for this role. 'Not only has she played [and] she has the player perspective, but she's watching all the time,' Stewart said after practice. 'She knows the best pieces to kind of put the puzzle together, and I'm happy for her and happy that I'll be able to work alongside her.' 6 Sue Bird speaks on stage during the 'A Touch More' live podcast at the 2025 SXSW Conference and Festival Austin Convention Center on March 09, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Getty Images 6 Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty laughs with Sue Bird after the game against the Seattle Storm on May 20, 2024 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NBAE via Getty Images Stewart said she once again wants to suit up for Team USA in next year's World Cup. She also has her eyes set on the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Bird is assuming the managing director role at a time when there's plenty of young star power in the pipeline. She said she's open to integrate Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers into the women's national team pool ahead of the 2028 Olympics. 6 Caitlin Clark (22) returned to Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City for a WNBA preseason game against the Brazil national team on May 4, 2025. Grace Smith / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images 6 Paige Bueckers (5) sits to speak to reporter during a WNBA basketball media day in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. AP 'Any player that is interested in being part of the national team, of course, is welcome,' Bird said. 'You just want talent and you want to see which talent when they come together is going to fit. Of course, Caitlin. Of course, Paige. I mean, the names go on — you want them to be involved as quickly as possible to get comfortable. 'USA Basketball, from a player standpoint, can be an uncomfortable situation because we don't have a lot of training time and you're asked to do possibly, potentially, a different role, and you're trying to do that on the fly.'
New York Post
07-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Sue Bird to be named US women's national team's managing director in major power shake-up
Sue Bird is going for Olympic gold medal No. 6, but her first in an administrative role. Bird is expected to be named managing director for the U.S. women's national basketball team for the upcoming Olympic cycle, The Athletic reported Tuesday. Bird's appointment, which will reportedly be announced Thursday, will mark a major change in the way USA Basketball goes about fielding its national team player rosters and coaching staff. Sue Bird speaks on stage during the 'A Touch More' live podcast at the 2025 SXSW Conference and Festival Austin Convention Center on March 9, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Getty Images As of now, a committee currently makes those decisions. But Bird is expected to assume a role similar to the one Grant Hill held on the men's side from 2021 to 2024, where she'll be mostly responsible for the final say, according to the report. Bird, 44, seems like an obvious choice to be the women's first managing director as USA Basketball prepares for the pursuit of its ninth consecutive Olympic gold medal after Team USA narrowly escaped with one at the Paris Olympics last summer. Bird, a Syosset, Long Island native, is synonymous with winning. She captured five Olympic gold medals and four World Cup titles suiting up for the red, white and blue. She's also a four-time WNBA champion, five-time Russian National league champion, five-time EuroLeague champion and two-time NCAA champion. Though Bird retired from the WNBA in 2022, she remained immersed in the game and has a lot of influence. Sue Bird sits courtside during the first half of the Liberty vs Seattle Storm game at the Barclays Center on May 20, 2024. Noah K. Murray-NY Post The U.S. women's national team for the Paris Olympics caused quite a stir after Caitlin Clark was left off the final roster. Diana Taurasi already said the 2024 Summer Games would be her last Olympics. With Taurasi kicking her feet up in retirement, a new wave of young, exciting prospects, including Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, will be making their cases to make the U.S. women's national team roster for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. One thing is for certain: Bird will have her work cut out for her as other national programs — including France, Germany and Australia — continue to improve their talent pools.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sue Bird Turns Heads With Major Personal Announcement on Tuesday
When all-time great WNBA legend Sue Bird speaks about basketball, the fans listen. Bird, a four-time WNBA champion, 13-time WNBA All-Star and five-time Olympic gold medalist, is now entering a new chapter of her post-basketball career. Advertisement On Tuesday, Bird announced the upcoming launch of her new podcast — "Bird's Eye View." "I've got a new podcast! Bird's Eye View is all about the WNBA — insight, analysis, interviews, what's happening on the court, why it matters, and who's making it happen. The trailer's out now and the first episode drops on May 16. Follow on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts," Bird wrote on Instagram. Fans flooded the comment section with reactions to this announcement. "Suuuuuuuue this is fantastic. Love to see the Sue Bird media empire spread its wings (pun intended)!" one fan wrote. Advertisement "Brilliant name. Can't wait!" another said. "Sounds Awesome!! I'm listening," another added. "LET'S GOOOOOO," another wrote. This isn't Bird's first endeavor in the podcasting world. Last summer, the women's basketball icon launched the "A Touch More" podcast with her partner and co-host, Megan Rapinoe. 'While working on A Touch More with Megan, I realized I wanted to dive even deeper into one of my biggest passions—women's basketball,' Bird said in a statement on Tuesday. 'I'm so excited to expand my partnership with Vox Media on Bird's Eye View. This is a space where I will break down the nuances of the upcoming WNBA season, have in-depth conversations about the league, the players, and the stories that often go untold.' Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird watch semifinal during the Paris 2024 Terada-USA TODAY Sports Bird is launching "Bird's Eye View" in partnership with Vox Media. 'I couldn't be more excited to build on the momentum from A Touch More, and expand our partnership with Sue to launch Bird's Eye View,' Vox Media executive Ray Chao added. 'As women's basketball skyrockets in popularity, Bird's Eye View will meet the moment with the expert analysis, in-depth coverage, and defining conversations that fans are hungry for.'
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Sue Bird hints at record-breaking moment in Clark-Reese season opener
Caitlin Clark (L) Angel Reese (R) Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese , two of the WNBA's brightest young stars, are set to face off five times during the 2025 season. Their first clash will be on Saturday, May 17, when Clark's Indiana Fever take on Reese's Chicago Sky in what's shaping up to be one of the most anticipated games of the year. Former WNBA legend Sue Bird believes the season opener could break viewership records. On her podcast A Touch More, Bird predicted the game could attract over 3 million viewers, citing the star power of Clark and Reese and the buzz around their matchup. 'We haven't seen Caitlin Clark play in a while… and it's against Angel Reese,' Bird said. 'So my guess there is we're gonna see like 3-plus million [viewers], which I'm sure will smash some record.' Bird's prediction builds on past numbers. The Fever's win over the Sky on June 18, 2024, pulled in 2.25 million viewers—making it the most-watched WNBA game in 23 years. That game peaked at 3 million viewers, showing just how powerful this rivalry is in drawing attention to the league. The Indiana Fever made big offseason moves and are now considered potential title contenders. The Chicago Sky, on the other hand, had a quieter free agency but brought in veteran Courtney Vandersloot and traded for Ariel Atkins . They also added four promising rookies—Ajsa Sivka, Hailey Van Lith, Maddy Westbeld , and Aicha Coulibaly pointing to a longer-term rebuild. Despite the difference in team expectations, both Clark and Reese continue to be central figures in the WNBA's rising popularity and their first 2025 meeting is already shaping up to be a landmark moment for the league.
Fox News
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
WNBA legend reveals 1-word reaction to JuJu Watkins' devastating knee injury
The college basketball world was in shock when USC Trojans women's basketball star JuJu Watkins suffered a season-ending knee injury during the team's March Madness game against Mississippi State earlier this week. Sue Bird, a WNBA and college basketball legend in her own right, was also astonished. "My initial thought was like, f---," she said on the "A Touch More" podcast with Megan Rapinoe. "F--- for women's basketball, f--- for the tournament and then f--- for JuJu. Because now, you know, this marks a long rehab, this marks a test mentally and physically. "But it is not the end of anything. It's just the end of this particular run and JuJu will be fine. She'll be back on the court. Yes, it's a difficult rehab. But I know when I tore my ACL, it changed my life, it changed my career, it changed the trajectory for sure." Bird said she understood a torn ACL "feels like a death sentence," but she maintained it was not. It will sting for now because of the "amazing run" Watkins was on, she said. ESPN reported that Watkins tore her ACL when she went down on the floor. Watkins has been one of the most prolific scorers in college basketball since she entered the collegiate ranks last season. She was the nation's second-leading scorer this season, averaging 24.6 points, 7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. USC is back in the Sweet 16 for the second straight year. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
