"Paige Bueckers will be guaranteed a roster spot" - WNBA fans abuzz as Sue Bird takes charge for Team USA ahead of 2028 Olympics

On Tuesday, USA Basketball announced that Sue Bird would be the managing director of the women's national team. Bird will serve as the "Grant Hill" of women's basketball for the 2028 LA Olympics. The Athletic's Chantel Jennings and Joe Vardon confirmed the news.

During her active playing career, Bird was a constant part of the national team, winning five Olympic gold medals. The former WNBA star has the second-most Olympic gold medals, just one away from Diana Taurasi's six.

"Her hiring is a departure from a longstanding structure of using a committee to select players and coaches for national team rosters and comes on the heels of a very close call for the USA women in Paris," Jennings and Vardon wrote.

Expand Tweet

Fans revealed their thoughts on assigning Sue Bird to the position. Here are some of what they said.

"Aka Paige will be guaranteed a roster spot regardless of stats," a fan said.

Expand Tweet

"Sooooo… more UConn bias. Got it," another fan commented.

"As if the olympic team’s UConn bias wasn’t bad enough," one fan posted.

Other fans look forward to Bird including a specific player in the following Olympic roster.

"Good. Clark will be the first pick this time around with bird," a fan said.

Expand Tweet

"Omg 😱 please please please get CC on the Olympic team," a Caitlin Clark fan page commented.

"It's about to be Caitlin and the UConn squad for 2028," one fan shared.

During the 2024 Paris Olympics, the national team didn't include fan-favorite Caitlin Clark. With Bird as managing director, fans hope she'll get selected to represent the USA in Los Angeles.

Sue Bird retired in 2022 with nine international gold medals. She won five in the Olympics and four in the FIBA World Championships.

Sue Bird is set to have a new podcast with Vox Media

Since retiring, Sue Bird has taken on different career paths. One is her new podcast with Vox Media called "Bird's Eye View." The show is in partnership with ThreeFourTwo Productions and Togethxr, set to debut on May 16.

The former Seattle Storm star expects it to be different from other sports podcasts as it will come from a former player's perspective. The show will analyze specific topics regarding the sport and the WNBA and feature coaches, analysts, and other players.

Sue Bird aims to make the conversation about the game understandable to most casual fans. Vox Media’s senior VP and GM for audio and video, Ray Chao, expressed his excitement for Bird and her new program. The show will be on Apple, Spotify and YouTube, including other major podcast platforms.

About the author

Reign Amurao specializes in basketball at Sportskeeda, bringing 3 years of experience to his role and a Bachelor's Degree in Communication.

A fervent supporter of the Phoenix Suns, Reign was hooked to their electrifying "Seven-Seconds-Or-Less" offense, which epitomizes high-paced and high-intensity basketball. For Reign, Steve Nash is the ultimate floor general, and he believes Boris Diaw could've been the next Magic Johnson if he had a bit more discipline.

From Reign's perspective, Anthony Edwards is a 90s player stuck in modern times, and Gregg Popovich is an ultimate winner with unparalleled success and leadership in the sport.

Reign's expertise lies in NBA history, particularly the significant moments and trends of the 2000s and 2010s. He prioritizes in-depth research using only credible sources to maintain accuracy in his articles, and avoids misleading topics.

Beyond basketball, Reign enjoys gaming with friends and watches comedy shows and films.

Know More

Edited by William Paul