Sue Bird named first managing director of USA Basketball Women's National Team

WNBA legend Sue Bird was named the first managing director of the dominant USA Basketball Women’s National Team, taking one of the most “no win” jobs on the sports planet, the program announced Thursday.

WNBA legend Sue Bird was named the first managing director of the dominant USA Basketball Women’s National Team, taking one of the most “no win” jobs on the sports planet, the program announced Thursday.

The five-time gold medalist Bird, 44, will be the first person to hold the position in the team’s nearly half-century history, picking American coaches and players for major international contests.

“I'm excited,” Bird told NBC's “TODAY” show. “Obviously, as a player, I was able to represent our country, so (now) to do it in this position as well.”

Bird will oversee U.S. teams for international tournaments that would include everything from next year's FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles to the program’s training camps over the next three years.

“It’s a huge honor to be named managing director of USA Basketball’s Women’s National Team,” Bird said in a statement. “Representing the United States has been one of the greatest privileges of my life, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to support the next generation as they carry that legacy on.”