‘What's really special about women's basketball is the growth part,’ says former WNBA superstar Sue Bird, who’s in Manila as the newly named FIBA Women's World Cup global ambassador
as its global ambassador for the 2026 Women’s World Cup to be staged in Berlin from September 4 to 13.
In the 2022 hosting of the quadrennial tournament in Sydney, Australia, records in game attendance, live broadcast, and digital and social media engagement were shattered. Bird said that the story lines like Australia Opals star Lauren Jackson coming out of retirement and playing at 41 years old helped fans buy into the women’s game in 2022.
The WNBA star is optimistic of the growth of women’s sports and encourages media and fans to follow the players, teams and their stories leading up to the 2026 World Cup. “The growth you’ve seen in the men’s game – looking at players from 20 years ago to now – you’re starting to see that in the women’s game. It’s really exciting to tap into the qualifications, to follow a player because you’re gonna be able to watch the evolution.
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