The Woman Behind Picking Women's Team USA Roster

Five-time Olympic gold medalist, Basketball Hall of Famer, and Team USA’s first-ever Women’s National Team Managing Director Sue Bird joins the party!

Before Sue stops by, Abby and Julie go back to the loss that helped build one of the most dominant dynasties in sports history and how Team USA women’s basketball turned back-to-back bronze medals into a culture that hasn’t lost an Olympic game since 1992.

Then Sue takes us inside her newest role shaping the future of USA Basketball, from making the brutally difficult calls behind a stacked World Cup roster to carrying forward the standard set by legends like Dawn Staley, Lisa Leslie, and Sheryl Swoopes. She talks about why winning remains the North Star, handling the pressure that comes with Team USA, and what today’s players need to understand about putting the team above individual stats.

Plus, Sue opens up about life on the other side of retirement, becoming a broadcaster, navigating social media noise, and why the next phase of growth in women’s sports needs more than investment, it needs strategy.

And with the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup tipping off September 4, the Party People are officially ready to cheer Team USA all the way to Berlin. 🇺🇸🏀

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Welcome to the Party Merch - https://welcometotheparty.voila.store — and for September, a portion of proceeds supports Zoe’s Goal and childhood cancer research.

Keep the Party Going:

Want more Sue Bird in your life? We do too. Follow Bird’s Eye View for Sue’s take on the WNBA, women’s basketball, the people shaping the game and everything happening around it: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birds-eye-view-with-sue-bird/id1812530040

UConn people, this one is for you. Want to hear more about what Geno really thinks of Sue — and go deep on anything and everything UConn? The Dynasty: UConn Huskies goes inside 40 years of Geno, championships, pressure, personalities and the players who built the standard: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-dynasty-uconn-huskies/umc.cmc.1xd5z7o77x0f6g6laf1vfbdn0

Party People, clear the calendar. Team USA is headed to Berlin. The FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup runs September 4–13, with the U.S. opening against China on September 4: https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026

And yes, you can watch it all unfold. Find where to watch the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in the U.S.: https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-womens-basketball-world-cup-2026/where-to-watch

Party People, it’s time to do More Than Four. Juggle anything more than four times, nominate four friends and donate more than $4 to help fund childhood cancer research through Zoe’s Goal. And this month, a portion of Welcome to the Party merch proceeds will support Zoe’s Goal too: https://www.pledge.to/mt4zoesgoal

Meet Zoe Suder and learn more about the mission behind Zoe’s Goal: Scoring Against Childhood Cancer. LEARN MORE + DONATE: https://zoesgoal.org/ 

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