Sue Bird Lands Important New Job With USA Women’s National Team

The legendary guard has nine international medals to her name.
Sue Bird walks the "Orange Carpet" at the WNBA's 2022 All-Star festivities.
Sue Bird walks the "Orange Carpet" at the WNBA's 2022 All-Star festivities. / David Banks-Imagn Images

As the United States prepares to host the Olympics on its home soil, it appears set to incorporate a legend into its women's basketball program.

Longtime guard Sue Bird will serve as the American women's basketball team's managing director leading up to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, according to a Tuesday afternoon report from Chantel Jennings and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

Bird, 44, has won nine international gold medals in her career as a player—five in the Olympics and four in the FIBA Women's World Cup.

She played 19 seasons in the WNBA, making 13 All-Star teams and winning four WNBA titles with the Seattle Storm. A surefire future Hall of Famer, Bird called it a career after the 2022 season.

The United States's women's basketball program is among the best in any Olympic team sport, with an all-time record of 78–3 at the Summer Games. The Americans have won eight consecutive gold medals since taking bronze in Barcelona in 1992.


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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .