UConn legend Sue Bird now engaged to soccer star Megan Rapinoe.
Former UConn star Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe are tying the knot.
On Friday afternoon, Bird posted a picture on her Instagram account of Rapinoe kneeling on what looks to be a dock and placing a ring on the finger of Bird, who is standing in water.
Within the first 30 minutes, the post received over 12,000 likes and 723 comments, including well wishes from all over the sports community.
Former Washington Huskies star Kelsey Plum posted three heart emojis with a caption that read: “Congrats.”
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love wrote: “So great!!!”
And the Storm tweeted: “Ring Season. Congrats to THE power couple on their engagement!!! #LoveWins”
The pending nuptials mark the latest development in the relationship between Rapinoe and Bird, which began in September 2016.
Bird, the Storm star and fourtime WNBA champion, publicly announced in 2017 that she’s gay and dating the Olympic-gold medal winning soccer star.
During the past three years, the sports couple has championed various social-justice causes, co-hosted the ESPYs and appeared on several magazine covers.
“It’s nice to be going through the same thing,” Bird said in a Seattle Times story published in 2018 when asked about Rapinoe. “It’s very similar, the things you go through: mindsets of things, team chemistry, dealing with a coach. So it’s nice to have a sounding board at home that just understands.
“If I tried to tell my sister about something that happened in practice today, I would have to explain. With Megan, I don’t have to explain. It’s like just familiar enough, and the themes are sort of the same with coaches and players, that it’s a nice commonality.”
Bird acknowledged that her relationship with Rapinoe is an inspiration to several people, particularly an older generation who feared blowback from the public.
“Gay marriage wasn’t legal then,” Bird said. “But now they get to live their life. And in some ways, they’re just really thankful that there are younger people willing to push that envelope.
“They’re like, ‘Hey, I just want to say thank you. Because you guys have been living openly, it’s given me the confidence to do the same.’ ”