The USA women’s national basketball team won its eighth straight gold medal by defeating France, 67-66, in the Paris 2024 Olympics in August 2024.
Now that they’re preparing to compete for gold again in 2028, they’re getting all hands on deck, including all-time great Sue Bird. Bird, a five-time gold medalist, was named the first managing director of the women’s team on May 8.
She’s stepping into what some call a “no-win” job, but fellow gold medalist Diana Taurasi has faith that her former teammate will succeed. During Wednesday’s episode of “In Case You Missed it with Khristina Williams,” Taurasi, a six-time gold medalist, said she thought the new job was made for Bird.
“It’s amazing,” Taurasi said. “I texted her the other day and said, ‘This role is made for you. There’s no other person that can take on this role.’”
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She added that Bird has a great understanding of what a team should look and feel like. The former WNBA player mentioned that Bird embodies the unselfishness that goes into playing for the country’s national team.
“You have to have that basketball IQ,” Taurasi said. “She understands the things that make a team good. I think she’ll make USA basketball even better.”
Taurasi’s praise for Bird comes after the tandem built a strong relationship on the court. They started by leading the UConn Huskies back court, where they won two national championships together and led the team to a 39-0 record during the 2001-02 campaign.
The tandem then teamed up for the USA women’s national team to capture five gold medals (2004, ’08, ’12, ’16, ’20). Even after both guards announced their retirements from the sport, they continued working together by hosting an alternate broadcast for the women’s Final Four called “The Bird & Taurasi Show” on ESPN2.
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Taurasi’s support for her former teammate might be the encouragement Bird needs to help the USA women’s basketball team win another gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
About the author
Dean Koutouratsas
Trending News Writer, Athlon Sports