Suzanne Brigit Bird is an American former professional basketball player. She spent her whole career in the Women’s National Basketball Association with the Seattle Storm. In 2002, the Storm picked Bird with the first pick in the WNBA draft. She is known as one of the best WNBA stars ever. As of 2021, Bird is the only player in the WNBA who has won a title in three different decades. As their Basketball Operations Associate, she worked in the front office of the NBA team the Denver Nuggets. She has also been on three Russian teams. She is a native of both the United States and Israel.
Sue Bird, one of the greatest players in WNBA history, has made headlines not only for her impressive career but also for her relationship with fellow athlete Megan Rapinoe. The couple’s love story began in 2016, and since then, they have been breaking barriers and challenging stereotypes. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at their relationship and how they have used their platform to promote inclusivity and equality.
The Beginning Of Sue Bird And Megan Rapinoe’s Love Story
Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe met by chance during the 2016 Summer Olympics, where they were both representing Team USA. Rapinoe, who plays as a winger and captains the OL Reign of the National Women’s Soccer League, recalls their first encounter as a “meet-cute.” Despite making a bad first impression, Bird was charmed by Rapinoe’s “dorky” pick-up line, and they started dating shortly after.
In 2017, Bird told the world that she was gay and that Rapinoe was her girlfriend. “I don’t feel like I haven’t lived my life,” she told ESPNW. People seem to think that if you don’t talk about something, you must be hiding it as if it were a secret. That never happened to me.” Bird’s decision to come out was a big deal for LGBTQ+ people in sports, and since then, she has been a strong supporter of freedom and inclusion.
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Breaking Barriers: The First Same-Sex Couple Featured In ESPN’s Body Issue
In 2018, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe made history as the first same-sex couple to be featured in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue. The issue celebrates athletes’ bodies and the different shapes, sizes, and abilities that make them unique. For Bird and Rapinoe, the photo shoot was not only a celebration of their bodies but also an opportunity to promote LGBTQ+ visibility.
“I think it’s important to do these things first. It’s important for people to come out. Visibility is important,” Rapinoe told ESPN The Magazine. “I feel like [there are] a lot of negative ideas that hopefully I can break down just by being myself.”
Bird added, “Yeah, I think it’ll probably be even more badass later. A year, five years, 10 years, 20 years, to look back and be like, ‘Oh, they were the first openly gay couple to be in the issue.’ “
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Bird Defended Her Girlfriend Megan
Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe have not shied away from using their platform to advocate for the causes they believe in. In 2019, Rapinoe made headlines when she said she would not go to the White House if the U.S. women’s national soccer team won the World Cup that season. President Donald Trump responded with a series of tweets about Rapinoe and the soccer team.
Bird was quick to jump to her girlfriend’s defense with an essay titled “So the President F—— Hates My Girlfriend,” which was published in The Players’ Tribune. In the piece, Bird discussed Rapinoe’s character throughout it all, writing, “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.”
Their advocacy extends beyond sports, as they have also been vocal about issues such as gender and racial inequality. In 2020, they were named the Sports Illustrated Sportspersons of the Year for their activism and leadership.