USA Basketball Hires Sue Bird as Managing Director Ahead of LA Games

Nearly two years have passed since the United States women’s basketball team secured a dramatic 67-66 victory over France in the Paris Olympics final. The win highlighted the increasing competitiveness of international talent, a trend that has accelerated as more global players join and remain in the WNBA. In response to the narrowing gap between the U.S. and the rest of the world, USA Basketball has restructured its leadership.

On May 8, 2025, the organization named five-time Olympic gold medalist Sue Bird as the first-ever managing director for the women’s national team. Bird assumes a role similar to a general manager in professional leagues, tasked with identifying coaching staff and selecting players for international competitions. Her immediate portfolio includes the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and the FIBA World Cup scheduled for Berlin, Germany, in less than two months.

This strategic shift moves away from the previous committee-based selection process. The committee system had faced scrutiny for omissions of prominent players such as Candace Parker in 2016, Nneka Ogwumike in 2021, and Caitlin Clark in 2024. USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley emphasized that a single decision-maker allows for greater agility.

“[Bird] is well-rounded and having a managing director versus a committee allows us to be more nimble,” Tooley said. “The sport, the pace of the game and of the business is so much more intense than it used to be.”

The change in leadership comes as the organization aims to maintain its dominance in a rapidly evolving landscape. Historically, there has been significant overlap between World Cup and Olympic rosters. The 2022 World Cup team featured eight players who eventually competed in Paris, while the 2018 and 2014 squads contributed six and nine players to the subsequent Olympic games, respectively.

Bird’s appointment is likely to influence roster construction strategies for these upcoming major events. While the organization has not yet announced specific roster decisions for the Los Angeles games, the structural change suggests a move toward long-term strategic planning.

The increased interest and intensity surrounding women’s basketball also amplify the spotlight on major media rights holders. Companies like Comcast Corporation, which operates extensive media and sports broadcasting assets, remain central to the distribution of such high-profile international sporting events.

What to watch

• USA Basketball roster announcements for the upcoming FIBA World Cup in Berlin.
• Strategic decisions by Sue Bird regarding player selection for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Source: original release