Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe's Relationship Timeline Following Their Split After Nearly a Decade Together: Photos

Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe were a power couple for almost 10 years.

The Olympic gold medalists' love story began after their first meeting while backstage at the NBC and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee media summit ahead of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Revisiting the moment, Rapinoe told NBC, "She was in her basketball uniform and she had her hair down."

"We kinda crossed [paths] and she was like, 'Oh, hey! Ready for your game?'" Bird added.

After calling off her engagement to Sera Cahoone, Rapinoe went on her first official date with Bird.

"I was like, 'OK, don't be a cliché l------, where you love this person when you first meet them,'" Rapinoe told GQ in 2021. "But it was just immediately like, 'Oh, this is home.'"

In a 2017 ESPN story, Bird confirmed she is g-- and dating Rapinoe.

"I'm g--. Megan's my girlfriend.…These aren't secrets to people who know me," she said. "I don't feel like I've not lived my life. I think people have this assumption that if you're not talking about it, you must be hiding it, like it's this secret. That was never the case for me."

In a separate interview with TIME, Bird revealed Rapinoe helped her come out publicly.

"What Megan helped me understand was that, yes, what I was already doing was great, living authentically," she shared. "But it was important to say it, because the more people that come out, that's where you get to the point where nobody has to come out. Where you can just live. And it's not a story."

Over a year after publicly confirming their relationship, Bird and Rapinoe made history as the first openly g-- couple to appear on the cover of ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue.

"I mean, the Body Issue is just cool," Rapinoe said at the time. "I've done it once before. But even just looking through the magazine every year, it's a celebration of athletes in the way that we look, the muscles, the scars."

She added, "I think neither of us really wants to just do things and be like, 'We're the g-- couple.' But to have this really unique vehicle to actually do that, to celebrate who we are in our sport, but also the fact that we'll be the first gay couple, is pretty special."

Meanwhile, Bird said, "[It is] pretty amazing to think about, especially in the times we're in. Just think of how far we've come, but also the current climate and defiance in the face of that. Not only are we female athletes, but we're dating as well. It's kind of bada--."

The two announced their engagement in an Instagram update, showing Rapinoe proposing on one knee.

In December 2022, Bird and Rapinoe founded the production company A Touch More, which "centers stories of revolutionaries who move culture forward."

They also expanded their joint projects, debuting "A Touch More: The Podcast" in 2024.

Rapinoe announced her retirement in a July 2023 Instagram post, writing, "It is with a deep sense of peace and gratitude that I have decided this will be my final season playing this beautiful game. I never could have imagined the ways in which soccer would shape and change my life forever, but by the look on this little girl's face, I think she knew all along ✨."

Bird expressed support by commenting, "Congrats, baby!! That little girl is going to continue to do so much good in this world (but she sure did kill it on the field 🤩). I love you ❤️."

After nearly a decade together, Bird and Rapinoe confirmed their breakup in a joint statement on Instagram.

"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," they wrote. "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."

They also announced the end of their "A Touch More" podcast.

"Getting to create 'A Touch More: The Podcast' and build a network around it has been a tremendous joy. 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," they continued.