WNBA legend Sue Bird is ready to open up about her breakup with former U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe.
Sports fans learned about Bird and Rapinoe's breakup in mid-April. They confirmed this unfortunate news on their “A Touch More” podcast.
“There really is no smooth or easy way to share this news. After a lot of thought, we’ve made the decision to separate as a couple. This hasn’t been an easy decision, but it’s one we’ve made together, with so much love, respect and care for each other. We’ve shared a whole life over the last decade, through big moments and in quiet ones, and that is something we’ll always carry with us,” their joint statement read. “Getting to create A Touch More: The Podcast and build a network around it has been a tremendous joy. The conversations, the laughter, the connection – it means more than we can put into words. While this chapter of doing the podcast together is ending, what we’ve built with you isn’t. Thank you for being with us through all of it… it means the world to us.”
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Roughly two months later, Bird opened up about her relationship with Rapinoe as part of her feature with Women's Health.
"There’s no way I am who I am without being with Megan,” Bird told Women's Health. "But now that it’s over, I get to take this kind of, like, newish, grown-ish, healed-ish version of myself and be out in the world again. It’s exciting, it’s scary, it’s all of it.
That being said, Bird said her relationship with Rapinoe just wasn't working the way it used to.
"It’s like anything. It’s like, you grow, you change, you start having conversations about that in your relationship, and it just got to a point where we realized it might not be working anymore."
When did Bird and Rapinoe meet?
Bird, a 13-time All-Star and four-time WNBA champion, met Rapinoe at a photoshoot for the 2016 Rio Olympics. It wasn't until 2017 that they started dating.
“What Megan helped me understand was that, yes, what I was already doing was great, living authentically,” Bird told Time Magazine. “But it was important to say it, because the more people that come out, that’s where you get to the point where nobody has to come out. Where you can just live. And it’s not a story.”
Eventually, Bird and Rapinoe became the first openly gay couple to be featured in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue.
“It’s pretty amazing to think about, especially in the times we’re in. Just think of how far we’ve come, but also the current climate and defiance in the face of that. Not only are we female athletes, but we’re dating as well.”
We're wishing both Bird and Rapinoe all the best as they navigate the next chapter of their lives.
