NEW YORK — Sue Bird is ready to welcome the next generation of American basketball stars to Team USA.
Bird, who was announced Thursday as the managing director for the U.S. women’s national team, signaled her openness to bring Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and other American young talent into the fold as she takes on her role.
“You just want talent, and you want to see which talent, when they come together, is going to fit,” Bird said. “Of course, Caitlin. Of course, Paige. I mean, the names go on. You want them to be involved as quickly as possible to get comfortable. Because USA Basketball can be, from a player standpoint, can be an uncomfortable situation because we don’t have a lot of training time and you’re asked to do possibly, potentially, a different role. And you’re trying to do that on the fly. And so that can just cause a lot of discomfort. So the sooner you’re in it and you’re experiencing it, the better.”
Clark did not make the U.S. Olympic Team last summer during her rookie season in the WNBA. Bueckers was just drafted No. 1 by the Dallas Wings after she led the University of Connecticut to a women’s basketball national championship. But with eight of the 12 members of the 2024 team already 30 or older last summer, the national team will…
