BERLIN (AP) — Sue Bird started building a potential World Cup roster in her head soon after she got the job as the first managing director of the U.S. women’s national team nearly 16 months ago.
Those thoughts, which underwent many changes over the past year, have now come to fruition as the Americans prepare to open play against China on Friday. Bird feels a different kind of pressure than she did as a player for the U.S. during her incredible playing career, during which she helped the Americans win five Olympic gold medals and four World Cup championships.
“It’s my decisions I have to stand on and I feel really confident with this team,” Bird said. “What’s different is, as a player the pressure you feel is different. You do have some semblance of control because you’re out there doing it. ... I do think this is why players in general, I’ll go on a limb, you know, don’t always make the best coaches or GMs because you’re used to having control, myself included — and now there’s none.”
The U.S. roster features a few veterans like Breanna Stewart and many first-time players including Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese. Napheesa Collier also is making her World Cup debut after she missed the 2022 tournament because she was still getting back into shape after giving birth to her daughter, Mila.
Bird said the notes app on her phone got a lot of use as she was forming ideas for possible rosters. She also looked to the composition of teams she had played on as far as how they were built.
“You can kind of see it comes down to needing five post players and wanting some versatility in that group,” she said. “Guards is a broad term, but you need seven of them. That’s kind of a little bit of the blueprint and then you build from there. It does come back to who’s available.”
Bird was thrown some late curveballs during the final week leading up to the tournament, when A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum were both ruled out because of health reasons. She credits her ability to problem solve well to adjust quickly.
“Plum is a little bit different in that there was an awareness (of her injury),” Bird said. “I was already kind of like thinking about if things didn’t work out with her health wise, we’d have to pivot. But it’s a combination. So now there’s no A’ja and Plum. You have to think about what did those two players bring. You know what maybe are the voids that they leave. And then who’s best to replace that.”
USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley has been impressed with Bird in her new role.
“She obviously knows the international landscape as well as anybody as she played it professionally and with the national team. She knows this ecosystem. Also her thoughtfulness really stands out when talking about the process and the player candidates. I’ve just been really impressed with her commitment.”
Bird is signed on with USA Baskerball through the Los Angeles Olympics in two years.
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Doug Feinberg, The Associated Press
