Sue Bird
The Orchestrator
Scaling people and moving parts into one working whole.
Sue Bird is The Orchestrator because her leadership begins with the group, never the spotlight. She defines her game as helping a collection of players cohere, putting teammates in positions to succeed, an ethos she traces to Geno Auriemma instilling total ownership of team outcomes in her sophomore year. Mentoring Jewel Lloyd and Breanna Stewart extended that logic across generations, a champion who wins by arranging others for collective success.
“My game is like how can I help make this group of people play well together and how can I help put my teammates in spots to be successful. That's where I thrive.”
“I wanted them to start taking ownership of the franchise — like it's yours. In all reality, years wise, it was more theirs than mine at that point.”
“He basically helped teach me to have two personalities. He knew he could push me in different ways — with Swin he'd get to her another way, with Asia another way.”
Knuckleheads with Quentin Richardson & Darius Miles: “Sue Bird”
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