SUE BIRD NAMED TEAM USA MANAGING DIRECTOR

Sue Bird has done just about everything imaginable in basketball. WNBA Championships, Olympic Gold Medals, NCAA Championships, EuroLeague Championships, and so much more. And now, she can add something new to her illustrious career.

Today at 11:00 am at the Nike Store in New York City, Bird will officially be introduced as the Managing Director of the Women’s National Team ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Black Rosie Media will attend today’s press conference, so stay tuned!-

Chantel Jennings and Joe Vardon of The Athletic first broke the news earlier this week. From their article:

The United States Women’s National Basketball Team has been the most successful institution in American sports. The team has not lost an Olympic game since 1992 and has established itself as the gold (heh) standard in team sports.

⛹🏽‍♀️ FINDING THEIR WAY BACK

The Chicago Sky have been trying to find their way back to contention since Skyfall in the 2022 semifinals. Since that defeat at the hands of the Connecticut Sun, the team has changed coaches multiple times, lost franchise icons, and has come under fire for their lack of amenities compared to other teams. Despite those setbacks, the team has a chance to surprise people across the league.

Chicago underwent many changes this off-season. They hired Tyler Marsh as their head coach, traded for Rebecca Allen and Ariel Atkins, drafted Hailey Van Lith with the tenth overall pick in the Draft, and brought back franchise icon Courtney Vandersloot.

These moves, paired with the promising debuts of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, make the Sky a good bet to make the playoffs. With all the new talent, it’s going to take some time for their offense to find its rhythm and get comfortable with the space they operate in.

“It’s a work in progress,” Marsh said after Tuesday’s game. “We’re not a finished product by any means, but we’re getting there.”

Out west, another former contender is looking to get back to respectability. The Los Angeles Sparks have not appeared in the playoffs since 2020, and during this drought, they’ve also lost franchise icons, changed coaches multiple times, bet big on players with big names to disastrous results, etc. However, brighter days are ahead for one of the league’s original franchises.

The Sparks struck gold in the 2024 Draft by drafting Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson in the first round. Dearica Hamby has found a home in LA and is coming off an excellent season.

The ownership is on record as wanting to be more involved in getting LA back to contention, and the off-season acquisition of Kelsey Plum will go a long way toward that goal. They also have a new rookie head coach in Lynne Roberts.

Like first-year Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko, Roberts emphasizes generating three-pointers and shot attempts at the rim. So far in training camp, Roberts has been impressed by the work her new team is putting in

If the Sparks can put a quality season together, they’ll give their fans more hope and dreams of basketball championships returning to Los Angeles.

⛹🏽‍♀️ UPCOMING GAMES

Here is the final stretch of preseason games this year in the WNBA:

THE W SHINES AT THE MET GALA

May 5th was the biggest fashion night of the year. The annual Met Gala was held in Manhattan, and this year, the WNBA stole the show. Angel Reese served as Host Committee Member and rang in her 23rd birthday in style

Reese has had a tremendous start to her professional career. She finished second in the WNBA Rookie of the Year race, starred in Unrivaled, is the face of Reebok, and as we discussed above, is on a Sky team that’s looking to take a big step in 2025.

Later, the WNBA champions hit the scene as Liberty co-governor Clara Wu Tsai, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones appeared on the red carpet. Jonquel spoke about being at the Gala and the importance it holds

For years, there has been discussion about who gets to be featured in coverage, how often we feature players outside of a select few, whether we allow players to be their full selves in public, etc.

That very conversation initially compelled Black Rosie Media founder Erica L. Ayala to bring Misha Jones, the current Good Game with Sarah Spain producer, onto the Gotta Get Up Podcast.

In addition to being an excellent basketball analyst, Mish also brought a meaningful and underserved conversation about where more masculine-presenting WNBA players fit into the growing number of beauty and fashion brands partnering with and investing in women’s basketball.

Much has changed since Mish and Erica hopped on the mic, and the Met Gala and the new Liberty x Fenty Beauty + Fenty Skin partnership are proof.

That said, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. Let’s hope we continue to see partnerships that authentically welcome everyone.

💰 MONEY MOVES

AN A’ONE DEBUT!

It’s been years in the making, and it’s finally here! A’ja Wilson’s debut signature shoe, the A’One, is out, and demand is through the roof.

The shoes sold out in under five minutes as part of a limited release by Nike. Nike has put a lot into the development and promotion of the A’One, including a commercial directed by Malia Obama.

Candace Parker previously spoke about the scrutiny that comes with being a women’s signature athlete. You have more responsibilities on your shoulders and even more people are watching your every move.

Wilson has been one of the faces of women’s basketball since we first got to know her in South Carolina, and she’s only gotten better as time passed.

With so few women’s athletes having signature shoes and clothing lines, Wilson’s success can catalyze other Black women to enter this space and reach even higher heights.

📰 WHAT WE’RE READING

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in women’s basketball.

Here’s what we’re reading:

• Liberty look to dazzle across the city again this season ... on and off court by Lucas Kaplan for NetsDaily

• Leaonna “Neah” Odom’s journey comes full circle in return to the Liberty by Jackie Powell for The Next

• How the New York Liberty plan to top themselves in 2025 by Candace Pedraza for Winsidr

• Year 2 Unrivaled questions: WNBA support, expansion, rules by Kendra Andrews for ESPN

• Black Dandyism, the 2025 Met Gala Theme, Grew Out of Southern Churches by Taylor Crumpton for The Barbed Wire

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