Moments after USA Basketball formally introduced Sue Chicken as girls’s nationwide staff managing director in Manhattan, Liberty star Breanna Stewart shared pleasure for her former teammate a number of miles away inside Barclays Heart.
“It’s really cool for Sue to be the new managing director of USA Basketball,” Stewart mentioned after Thursday’s coaching camp apply in Brooklyn.
“Anytime that she’s a part of anything, I love it,” the Liberty star added. “Excited for her to continue to uplift what we do at USA Basketball.”
On Thursday, Stewart confirmed her plans to take part in subsequent yr’s FIBA World Cup in Berlin and the 2028 Olympic Video games in Los Angeles.
Beforehand Stewart’s teammate for seven years in Seattle, Chicken is now the primary managing director of the USA girls’s nationwide staff. The brand new place, which obtained permitted by the USA Basketball Board of Administrators, makes Chicken answerable for figuring out the nationwide staff’s teaching workers and gamers for main worldwide competitions, together with the World Cup and the Olympics, and this system’s coaching camps over the subsequent three years.
“It’s a huge honor to be named managing director of USA Basketball’s Women’s National Team. 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 as they carry that legacy on,” Chicken mentioned in a press release. “I’m excited to take on this new role and to work alongside the USA Basketball staff and Board of Directors as we prepare for this upcoming chapter of USA Basketball.”
Chicken retied from basketball in 2022 after enjoying 19 seasons with the Seattle Storm. She received 4 titles with the franchise — two alongside Stewart in 2018 and 2020 — whereas incomes 13 All-Star Sport appearances, eight All-WNBA staff picks and three help titles.
The Syosset, Lengthy Island native hopes so as to add extra status to the ladies’s nationwide staff resume after incomes 5 gold medals and 4 world champions throughout her enjoying days.
“Sue is one of the most respected people in the basketball community,” USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley mentioned. “Having known Sue for many years, I’m confident her leadership and knowledge will be a huge asset to the continued success of our women’s national team program, and we’re excited to have her join us as we head towards the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympic Games.”
Workforce USA hasn’t misplaced an Olympic or FIBA Girls’s World Cup recreation since 2006.
Chicken’s first large job is discovering a head coach to steer the brand new period of USA basketball. A brand new coach will succeed Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, who led the squad to a gold medal final summer time.
Chicken mentioned there’s no timeline to pick out a brand new head coach for subsequent yr’s World Cup in the intervening time.
Stewart believes having Chicken, who isn’t that far faraway from her enjoying days, on the place is “beneficial.”
Being simply three years faraway from her enjoying days places her able to think about gamers that she would possibly’ve performed with and in opposition to in WNBA or Workforce USA motion. Stewart and Chicken spent the vast majority of their worldwide and WNBA careers enjoying with one another.
Gold medalists Chelsea Grey and Napheesa Collier performed in opposition to Chicken and are stars on the prime of the listing for a Workforce USA roster spot once more.
Stewart thinks that’s a bonus that’ll assist maintain Workforce USA on the prime.
“Not only does she have the player perspective, but she’s watching all the time and she knows the best pieces to put the puzzle together. I’m happy for her and happy that I’ll be able to work alongside her.”
