On World Basketball Day, FIBA dropped its Hall of Fame Class of 2026. The announcement honored seven players and one coach who left their mark on the game at the highest level. The formal induction ceremony is set for April 21 in Berlin.
Leading the class are two names that need no introduction: Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki and the United States’ Sue Bird. Bird’s international resume speaks for itself. She anchored the USA women’s program through nearly two decades of dominance, starting in 2002 and running all the way to her final bow at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
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Along the way, she collected four FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup titles and contributed to five consecutive Olympic gold medal campaigns. The Americans did not drop a single game during those runs.
The WNBA marked the moment with a post on X shortly after the announcement.
“Congrats to Sue Bird on being inducted into the 2026 FIBA Hall of Fame! 👏” the league wrote.
Bird is not slowing down now that her playing days are behind her. Team USA’s senior training camp kicked off this weekend, and she is experiencing it from an entirely different vantage point.
She took over as USA Basketball’s managing director in May, a role that puts her in charge of roster construction and coaching decisions for both the World Cup and the Olympics.
Former Seattle Storm player, Sue Bird, poses for a photo in front of her statue prior to the game between the Seattle Storm and the Phoenix Mercury at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
The camp is happening at Duke University, where talent evaluation is underway ahead of the 2026 FIBA World Cup. Bird is working alongside Duke head coach Kara Lawson to run the operation.
They have got help from some familiar WNBA faces on the sidelines: Natalie Nakase of the Golden State Valkyries, Stephanie White of the Indiana Fever, and Phoenix Mercury’s Nate Tibbets are all assisting with player assessments.
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