Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe announce separation on social media

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

“There really is no smooth or easy way to share this news,” they wrote on an Instagram post. “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.”

Bird, 45, won four WNBA titles in her 19 seasons in the league, all with the Seattle Storm. She also won five Olympic gold medals with the U.S. 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 the FIFA Women’s World Cup title in 2015 and 2019. She also won the 2012 Olympic gold medal with Team USA.

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

“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,” Bird and Rapinoe wrote.

“We are so grateful for this incredible community that has held us up, welcomed us in, and supported us exactly 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] build a network around it has been a tremendous joy,” they wrote of the podcast. “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.”