Overview

• Sue Bird has officially agreed to become the managing director of the USA women’s national basketball team, with an announcement planned for Thursday in New York.
• Bird will take on responsibilities similar to the men’s managing director role, previously held by Jerry Colangelo and now Grant Hill, consolidating decision-making on rosters and coaching staff.
• This appointment ends the women’s team’s tradition of committee-based roster selection, centralizing authority under Bird for the 2028 Olympic cycle.
• Bird, a WNBA legend and five-time Olympic gold medalist, brings extensive experience from her storied playing career, which concluded in 2022.
• Her immediate focus will be preparing for the November 2025 qualifying events and the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Germany.