She hangs up her jersey but not her clipboard. Sue Bird is done with the grind of the court yet the ball still spins in her life. At forty-five, she is the managing director of USA Basketball Women. That means one massive job: picking the squad for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Just last month, she co-founded TOGETHXR too.
Busy doesn’t begin to cover it.
“I did different things to try to see where the signal was.”
Broadcasting was a trial run. During her Storm days she tested the waters. Retirement clarified things instantly. She cared too much about women’s sports to walk away.
The shift wasn’t clean though. Growth pains exist everywhere. Even legends have to figure out Google Docs.
Spreadsheets Are Her Nemesis
Sue treats her desk job like she treated the point guard spot. Prepare for everything. Accept that plans fail anyway.
She applies that athlete logic to admin tasks. It’s the same prep mentality. But then there are the technical glitches. Or what she calls them.
“All the laptop work has been a adjustment.”
She still avoids spreadsheets entirely. Google Docs? She just drops comments everywhere because the shortcuts are lost to her. Honestly, does anyone remember the command palette? She isn’t alone.
Her physical routine changed as much as her inbox did.
Letting Go of the Peak
You cannot maintain peak Olympic condition forever. The body betrays the will eventually. That was a hard pill for her identity to swallow. She had to let go.
The all-or-nothing training block is dead. She traded intensity for marginal gains.
Her schedule now looks different. Six days a week. She lifts heavy to fight perimenopause muscle loss. Pilates handles the recovery after a career full of injuries. Group classes keep her honest because accountability works better than solitude sometimes.
Her body feels better when it moves. Simple as that.
The Money Changed Everything
The next generation lives a different game. Not just on the hardwood.
They see million-dollar contracts signing. Endorsements are everywhere. Sue points this out without jealousy.
“They have generational wealth.”
It wasn’t available to her. Players now pass down capital instead of just playing their hearts out for a scholarship dream.
She leaves the door open if anyone needs advice. Mostly they don’t though. They’re figuring it out. The system works for them in ways it didn’t for her.
Does she worry about 2028? Probably not.
“They’re doing all right.”
Bird picks the roster now. She watches the money flow. And she learns keyboard shortcuts the slow way.
What else needs changing before the Games begin?
