Seattle Storm Send Megan Rapinoe Into Retirement With a Jersey to Match Sue Bird’s

Feature image photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Last night, the Seattle Storm honored Megan Rapinoe — the Seattle Reign FC midfielder, USWNT superstar, and partner of Storm legend Sue Bird — with a jersey to match her wifey’s. The power couple have been a fixture at WNBA games this season, especially in their home city, and Rapinoe seemed genuinely surprised and moved by the tribute and jersey presentation. The crown went absolutely wild for her as Rapinoe put on the jersey and posed like a clown. If you’re a longtime women’s basketball fan, you’ll know what a big deal this is: The Storm gave Rapinoe a #15 jersey, which is both her USWNT number, and the number of Hall of Famer Lauren Jackson, whose Storm #15 is hanging retired in the rafters.

Rapinoe announced that this year’s World Cup would be her last, before the tournament even started. In her retirement press conference, she said, “I want to thank my family for being by my side all these years. Thanks to all my teammates and coaches all the way back to my first days in Redding, on to college at the University of Portland and of course thanks to U.S. Soccer, the Seattle Reign and especially Sue, for everything.” And she fell right into Sue Bird’s arms after the the USWNT was eliminated by Sweden in the round of 16.

Bird and Rapinoe will be icons and celebrities in the women’s sports world, and especially in Seattle, for the rest of their lives. For now, I hope they both take a nice, long, hugely deserved nap.

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Heather Hogan

Heather Hogan is an Autostraddle senior editor who lives in New York City with her wife, Stacy, and their cackle of rescued pets. She's a member of the Television Critics Association, GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, and a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer critic. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.

Heather has written 1718 articles for us.

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