By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Sue Bird is giving another assist to USA Basketball, becoming the managing director of the women’s national team.
The five-time Olympic champion was named to the newly created position Thursday and it marks a major change in the way the organization creates its roster and coaching staff.
“I played for USA Basketball for so long and always really enjoyed my time with them,” Bird said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “I love representing my country. I love being competitive on that stage. To have that opportunity to do it in a different role is exciting.”
Before the change, a committee made those decisions, but now in a move similar to what the USA men’s national team does, Bird will be the one responsible for putting things together. Grant Hill has the same role on the men’s side.
“We are really, really excited about Sue for so many reasons,” USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley said in a phone interview. “Her pedigree and standing in the sport is so strong. Not just in women’s basketball, but all of sport. She’s a tremendous leader and we’re very excited that she took this on for us.”
The men’s team has had a managing director for two decades with Jerry Colangelo serving in that spot from 2005-21 before Hill took over.
“She’s had five Olympic gold medals herself and understands what’s involved,” Tooley said. “Having the managing director position makes it easier to work with the staff for long term vision of the program. It’s hard to do that with a committee that comes and goes and gets together a handful of times.”
Tooley said Bird’s term will be for four years — the same as the Olympic cycle — and the change to this structure has been in the works for a few years, well before the decision to not select Caitlin Clark for the 2024 Paris Games team that left some people upset.
“Discussions happened after the ’21 Olympics and Sue served on the board last quad,” Tooley said. “We got in discussions about the managing director role and we sat with her awhile and she gave it a lot of consideration and thought. It’s an enormous responsibility.”
Bird said she’s used to the pressure of USA Basketball where it’s basically win a gold medal or bust. The Americans have won eight straight, including one at last year’s Paris Olympics.
“This is a different type of pressure,” she said. “I’m hoping to bring all that I learned as a player, all my experience, all my understanding. The whole goal is to win a gold medal and it feels at times that’s the only option. … I know what it’s like to be a player, know what it’s like as a player to build teams and have teams come together and see what clicks.”
Before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the Americans will play in the FIBA World Cup in Germany next year. The first qualifying event will take place in November. Besides figuring out what players will be on that team, Bird will have to decide who will be coaching the squad. There is no clear-cut choice right now.
“Of course I’ve started to think about it, jotting some names down here and there,” Bird said. “It’s the first priority without a doubt. There are so many qualified coaches in college and the WNBA.”
Bird said that she doesn’t have a specific time frame to have a coach in place.
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