Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe announce separation on social media

Retired sports stars Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe announced on social media Friday that, after a decade together, they are no longer in a relationship.

“There’s really no comfortable or easy way to share this news,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “After much discussion, we have decided to separate as a couple.

“This is not an easy decision, but we have made it together with great love, respect and care for each other.”

The 45-year-old Bird won four WNBA titles in her 19 seasons in the league, all with the Seattle Storm. He also won five Olympic gold medals with the US national team. The former UConn star was the No. 1 pick in the 2002 WNBA draft after winning two NCAA titles with the Huskies.

Rapinoe, 40, played for the United States women’s soccer team in winning FIFA Women’s World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019. He also won the 2012 Olympic gold medal with Team USA.

Bird retired from the WNBA after the 2022 season, and Rapinoe retired from the NWSL at the end of the 2023 season.

“Over the past decade we have shared an entire life, through the big moments and the quiet moments, and that is something we will always carry with us,” Bird and Rapinoe wrote.

“We are so grateful for this incredible community that has embraced us, welcomed us and supported us just as we are.”

Bird, who was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame last year, is now the managing director of the U.S. women’s national basketball team.

Bird and Rapinoe also had business interests together, including a podcast called “A Touch More”.

“[To] Building a network around it has been a tremendous joy,” he wrote about the podcast. “The conversations, the laughter, the engagement – ​​it means more than we can put into words. While this chapter of putting together a podcast is coming to an end, what we’ve built with you hasn’t ended.”