Sue Bird is in a class by herself.
She became the first American player to make four world championship teams when USA Basketball announced the roster on Tuesday. Bird won gold medals in 2002 and 2010 and a bronze medal in 2006.
“It just means I’ve been playing a lot of years,” Bird said last week before the team left for its overseas exhibitions. “We have a lot of other veterans in this group and I’m sure we’ll have a good mix of experience and youth.”
U.S. coach Geno Auriemma is impressed by Bird’s longevity after playing for him at Connecticut.
“I think it’s a testament to Sue,” he said. “That’s a period of 12 years. She played right after graduating college. It is amazing that her level of play has been that consistent for that many years at a position that is not easy to play. That’s kind of who she is. She is very steady, very even keeled, unbelievably talented and wins. The players trust her, and they have confidence in her.”