Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, both renowned Olympic gold medalists, began their relationship in 2017.
The two first crossed paths backstage at a photo shoot for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Rapinoe recalled, “She was in her basketball uniform and had her hair down,” in a 2021 NBC interview.
Bird remembered their encounter differently, saying, “We kinda crossed paths and she was like, ‘Oh, hey! Ready for your game?’” Bird responded with a laugh, finding the situation amusing at the time.
Rapinoe admitted feeling embarrassed about their initial meeting, saying she felt she made “such a bad impression.”
Bird playfully referred to Rapinoe as “a total dork” at that moment, adding, “I walked away thinking, ‘I thought you were supposed to be cool?’ We joke about it now.”
Rapinoe publicly came out as gay in 2012. In a 2020 interview with The Sunday Magazine, she reflected that coming out allowed her to be “a better, more full person,” noting, “Any time you hide even the smallest part of yourself, you’re not able to fully capture your potential in life.”
Bird publicly came out in 2017 when she and Rapinoe started dating. She clarified, “I’m gay. Megan’s my girlfriend … these aren’t secrets to people who know me.” She noted that her decision to come out publicly was not about hiding but about timing, as she had been open with friends and family for years.
The couple got engaged in October 2020 after three years together. In a May 2022 interview with The Seattle Times, Bird explained the delay in their wedding plans, saying, “It’s more Megan. We’re on Megan’s schedule.” She highlighted the complexity of Rapinoe’s soccer calendar, which often affects their plans. Bird added, “If it was up to us, we would have done it a year ago, but we’re waiting to see how Megan’s soccer future unfolds.”
Scroll through for a timeline of their relationship:
2016
The two athletes first crossed paths backstage at a photoshoot for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Bird later shared with NBC that her initial impression of Rapinoe was that she came off as a “total dork.”
2017
Bird publicly came out as gay and revealed her relationship with Rapinoe in an interview with ESPNW. “I’m gay. Megan’s my girlfriend … these aren’t secrets to people who know me,” the Olympic gold medalist stated.
2018
The couple appeared nude together in ESPN’s Body Issue. Rapinoe expressed her enthusiasm about the feature, saying, “I mean, the Body Issue is just cool. I’ve done it once before. But even just looking through the magazine every year, it’s a celebration of athletes in the way that we look, the muscles, the scars.”
2019
Ahead of the World Cup, Rapinoe announced in a video that she would not visit the White House if the U.S. won the championship. President Donald Trump responded with a tweet: “Megan should WIN first before she TALKS.” He added, “Megan should never disrespect our Country, the White House or our flag.”
In response to the controversy, Bird wrote a blog post for The Players’ Tribune, praising Rapinoe’s resilience: “Megan, man … I’ll tell you what. You just cannot shake that girl. She’s going to do her thing, at her own damn speed, to her own damn rhythm, and she’s going to apologize to exactly NO ONE for it. So when all the Trump business started to go down last week, I mean — the fact that Megan just seemed completely unfazed? It’s strange to say, but that was probably the only normal thing about it. It’s not an act with her.”
2020
The couple announced their engagement on Instagram with a photo of Rapinoe down on one knee, accompanied by no caption.
2021
Rapinoe celebrated Bird’s achievement of her fifth Olympic Gold Medal in Tokyo, sharing her pride on Instagram: “I am so proud of you @sbird10 ❤️. As if I could love you any more 🥰. Congrats baby!” alongside a photo of the two of them sharing a moment courtside.
2022
Bird expressed her hope to inspire LGBTQ+ youth in an interview with E!: “I think it’s so important that when Megan and I are walking down the street, there could be a little gay kid that says, ‘Oh! They’re not the weird ones. They’re just happy and they’re living their lives,’ and I feel like that’s just so important. For me in middle school, high school, even in college, the gay one was the weird one and I just feel really passionately that we’re able to change that.”
2023
In July 2023, Rapinoe announced her retirement from professional soccer at the end of the season. She shared a childhood photo on Instagram, captioning it: “It is with a deep sense of peace and gratitude that I have decided this will be my final season playing this beautiful game. I never could have imagined the ways in which soccer would shape and change my life forever, but by the look on this little girl’s face, I think she knew all along ✨.”
Bird expressed her support with a comment: “Congrats, baby!! That little girl is going to continue to do so much good in this world (but she sure did kill it on the field 🤩). I love you ❤️.”
2024
The couple attended the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, where they shared a kiss on August 11 while watching the Team USA women’s basketball gold medal game against France at the Bercy Arena. They also enjoyed the women’s football gold medal match on August 10, fully embracing their time in Paris.