The End of a Power Couple and Their Podcast
The recent announcement of Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe’s breakup has left fans in shock, with the future of their joint podcast now uncertain. The two athletes, who had been together for nearly a decade, shared the news on social media, marking the end of a relationship that was as much about love as it was about mutual respect and admiration.
Rapinoe, a two-time World Cup winner with the USA women’s soccer team, and WNBA legend Bird made the difficult decision to end their 10-year romance. They released a joint statement expressing their feelings, emphasizing that the decision was not an easy one.
The sudden split also raised questions about the future of their popular podcast, ‘A Touch More,’ which they relaunched in 2024. After announcing their breakup in a special edition of the podcast, they revealed that they would be phasing out their show.
“I hope you all know we put a lot of thought and care into this,” said Rapinoe, who rose to fame as a member of the Women’s World Cup team in 2011, 2015, and 2019. “It’s a decision that we made together. We’re still going to be there for all of you and for each other. It’s just going to look and feel a little bit different.”
“We truly are evolving into something new to each other, to ourselves and to all of you, and we just wanted to say thank you for sharing this space with us and giving us this space for us to find ourselves in a different way through this podcast.”
Bird explained that they plan to release six more limited episodes before closing that chapter of their lives as a “farewell to you all and to this space.”
Moving Forward Individually
After ending their collaboration, both athletes have plans for their own projects. Rapinoe is set to launch her own podcast, while Bird is committed to a second season of her venture, ‘Bird’s Eye View.’
Their relationship began shortly after the Rio Olympics in 2016, where they were both competing for Team USA — Rapinoe in soccer and Bird in basketball. However, they did not go public with their romance until the following year.
In an interview with People in 2019, Rapinoe spoke highly of her then-girlfriend, saying: “We are huge fans of each other. I have become, like, a Seattle Storm number one superfan, of course. I think it is just the understanding of what we have to go through and the appreciation of, you know, each other’s skills and lives is really special.”
“Neither of us are like, ‘Oh wow you are the best person that has ever played basketball.’ Which she is!”
Three years later, Rapinoe proposed to Bird in 2020, shortly after she won her fourth WNBA championship with the Seattle Storm.
Together, the duo has a total of six Olympic gold medals — five for Bird and one for Rapinoe. The soccer star also has a bronze from the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Rapinoe previously got engaged to singer Sera Cahoone in 2015, but the couple eventually broke up. She has also dated her fellow soccer star Sarah Walsh.
Despite their separation, the two remain close, continuing to support each other in their respective careers and personal endeavors. Their journey together, marked by love, strength, and resilience, will always be remembered as a significant chapter in their lives.
