Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe are letting us in on their post-retirement life, and are not holding anything back.
The power couple were two of the subjects featured for the debut of Esquire's inaugural Maverick of the Sports segment, where the publication is highlighting nine athletes breaking the mold, and the dynamic duo gave us a glimpse into not just their post-retirement life, but the ins and outs of what it truly means to be an activist in 2025.
"If I feel like an injustice is happening, or if there’s somewhere where we can lend our voice to grow women’s sports, that’s who we are and how we live, and the things that we really want to spend our time doing," notes Rapinoe. There's no doubt the two have changed sports forever, and their voices continue to be impactful in the sports realm. Here are some additional highlights from the interview.
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Sue Bird on the power of speaking out:
"If I feel like an injustice is happening, or if there’s somewhere where we can lend our voice to grow women’s sports, that’s who we are and how we live, and the things that we really want to spend our time doing."
Megan Rapinoe on President Donald Trump posting on social that “the USA is going to Hell!!!” because she missed a penalty kick in the 2023 World Cup:
"That says everything about the person he is,” she says with a shrug. “But I think it also says a lot about who I am, the fact that he was trying to go after me.” Rapinoe’s public protests of Trump date back to 2019, and the LGBTQ+ advocate has drawn his ire many times on social media in the years since. His attack, she says, gave her a certain confidence. “I’m doing the right thing,” she says of what it revealed to her then."
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Sue Bird on what people would be surprised to know about them:
Bird guesses it’s how “boring” and “low-key” they really are.
Megan Rapinoe on what would surprise the public about them:
“Whatever it is, they’re not knowing it.”