WNBA legend Sue Bird has opened up on her shock split from USWNT icon Megan Rapinoe and explained why they went their separate ways.
Back in April, the high-profile sporting duo announced they were splitting in a joint statement after almost ten years together.
They had been dating for nearly a decade after meeting backstage at a photoshoot for the 2016 Rio Olympics. They got engaged in October 2020 but never tied the knot.
Bird is the cover star of the most recent edition of Women’s Health magazine and, in an interview, explained the reason behind them going their separate ways.
She said: ‘It’s like anything. It’s like, you grow, you change, you start having conversations about that in your relationship. It just got to a point where we realized it might not be working anymore.’
Bird added that the couple ‘definitely planned on being together forever’.
WNBA legend Sue Bird has explained why her relationship with Megan Rapinoe ended
The couple surprisingly announced they had split after 10 years on social media last month
The four-time WNBA champion also revealed that she is still on ‘great terms’ with Rapinoe
However, the four-time WNBA champion also revealed that she is still on ‘great terms’ with Rapinoe, a two-time USA World Cup winner in her soccer career, and there is ‘no bad blood’.
The former couple relaunched their podcast, ‘A Touch More,’ in summer 2024 and discussed women’s sports and the culture around it. They confirmed that, following their split, they will also no longer be recording the show together.
‘When we were doing the podcast the last month, is it a little awkward for the two of us? Yeah,’ Bird added.
‘The chemistry and the interaction between us, that was still very real. It really is rooted in an actual love for each other.’
In the statement announcing their split, the couple wrote: ‘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.
‘We are so grateful to this incredible community that has held us up, welcomed us in, and supported us exactly as we are. So many of you have reminded us, again and again, why loving out loud matters.’
