'I Wanted to Learn What I Didn’t Know': How Denver Nuggets Prepared Sue Bird for Team USA Role

The opportunity came through a call from Nuggets president Tim Connelly, who was connected to Bird through mutual friend Caron Butler. Connelly offered Bird a flexible role as a Basketball Operations Associate, allowing her to work directly with executives, scouts and coaches while continuing her playing career.

“I always had it in my mind that if I was going to coach or be in the front office at any level, it was going to be something that I’d do after I retired,” Bird said on Small Ball with Kenny Beecham. “Then Tim called. It was music to my ears, because he offered an opportunity where I could do both.”

Bird gravitated toward the front office side of the operation, taking part in internal meetings, player evaluations and roster discussions. She often traveled with the team and contributed to scouting reports, particularly when the Nuggets were considering G League call-ups or evaluating long-term prospects.

“I ended up doing a lot more of the front office, GM’ing stuff. I would sit in all of those meetings,” Bird told Small Ball. “On some level, I know basketball, so I was like, let me do something that I never have access to. It was amazing.”

Bridging Leagues and Building Perspective

Bird quickly connected with members of Denver’s front office, including Calvin Booth, a former NBA center who had worked his way up through several executive roles. Booth began his front office career with the New Orleans Pelicans as a scout in 2012 before moving to the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he rose to director of player personnel. He joined the Nuggets in 2017 as assistant general manager and was promoted to general manager in 2020.

Booth helped construct Denver’s 2023 NBA championship roster and became a respected figure in league circles. However, his tenure came to an end earlier this year, as the Nuggets announced in April, that they would not extend his contract.

“There’s a lot of former players in that front office,” Bird told WNBA.com in 2018. “It’s just an instant connection and respect.”

Her time in Denver also highlighted key structural differences between the NBA and WNBA.

“The difference in the WNBA is we don’t have the resources or the manpower at times,” Bird told Small Ball. “Any kind of ideology you can bring with you, it’s going to hit. It’s going to be new, it’s going to be different.”

Those insights fueled Bird’s continued involvement with the WNBPA and solidified her desire to help shape the future of women’s basketball.

Leading Team USA into the Next Era

Earlier this month, Bird was named managing director of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team—a newly created role that puts her in charge of selecting coaches and players for international competitions, including the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“It’s a huge honor,” Bird said in May. “Representing the United States has been one of the greatest privileges of my life, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to support the next generation.”

Her appointment mirrors the role held by Grant Hill on the men’s side and represents a shift from committee-based decision-making to a centralized leadership structure.

“This is a different type of pressure,” Bird said in May. “The whole goal is to win a gold medal, and it feels at times that’s the only option. I know what it’s like to be a player, know what it’s like as a player to build teams and have teams come together and see what clicks.”

Bird’s experience in Denver helped lay the foundation for that transition. From contributing to NBA roster decisions to now guiding the future of Team USA, her journey continues to break barriers.