We’re Still Obsessed With Power Couple Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe’s SI Swimsuit Debuts

The pair earned SI Swimsuit Legend honors after their first features in the fold.

Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe were photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe are an iconic pair here at SI Swimsuit, having both donned the cover of the magazine’s 60th Anniversary edition together back in 2024.

But how exactly did this cute couple—who met during the 2016 Olympics before getting engaged in 2020—get their start with the brand? Let’s find out!

Megan Rapinoe: 2019

Rapinoe graced the fold for the first time in 2019, alongside fellow athletes Lindsey Vonn, Paige VanZant, Simone Biles, Abby Dahlkemper, Crystal Dunn and Alex Morgan. Morgan earned a front-page spot with the magazine in that same issue.

Megan Rapinoe was photographed by Ben Watts in St. Lucia. Swimsuit by INDAH. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

The Olympic gold medalist traveled to St. Lucia for her debut shoot, which was photographed by Ben Watts. Little did she know that a half-decade later, she would be deemed an SI Swimsuit Legend.

Megan Rapinoe was photographed by Ben Watts in St. Lucia. Swimsuit by Haus of PinkLemonaid. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

“There are so many beauty standards placed on women just sort of inherently in our society—you see it everywhere,” Rapinoe told SI Swimsuit in 2024. “So to be able to pick up [the] magazine and see just such a myriad of beautiful, powerful women was always inspiring to me.”

Megan Rapinoe was photographed by Yu Tsai in Legends - Hollywood-FL. Suit by: ALICE + OLIVIA Shoes by: Fendi Jewelry by: Melinda Maria / Yu Tsai /Sports Illustrated

The two-time FIFA World Cup champion went on to explain that she hoped her feature would inspire readers, adding, “To show off an athletic body, to show off a more muscular body, [...] in that particular space as a gay woman was important for me, and I think, important for the magazine as well.”

Sue Bird: 2022

Bird met fellow WNBA players (at the time) Breanna Stewart, Didi Richards, Nneka Ogwumike and Te’a Cooper in St. Thomas for the group’s debut feature with SI Swimsuit. While the five-time Olympic gold medalist looked like a natural, she told SI Swimsuit that wasn’t always the case.

Sue Bird was photographed by Laretta Houston in St. Thomas. Swimsuit by Gigi C. Earrings by Eklexic. / Laretta Houston/Sports Illustrated

“The fact that I’m 41 [and in the SI Swimsuit issue], it’s kinda cool to be in here. I’ll speak for myself with this shoot— if I appear confident, that took a lot of time. It’s not like I wasn’t born with that,” Bird disclosed in 2022. “It can feel overwhelming to [feel like you have to] climb a mountain in one day, but that’s not what it is.”

Sue Bird was photographed by Laretta Houston in St. Thomas. Swimsuit by Antoninias. Earrings by Eklexic. / Laretta Houston/Sports Illustrated

Alongside Rapinoe in 2024, Bird joined the coveted ranks of the SI Swimsuit Legends. At the time, the now-retired athlete reflected on her first shoot amid her newest honor at the magazine.

Sue Bird was photographed by Yu Tsai in Legends - Hollywood-FL. Suit by: ALICE + OLIVIA. Shoes by: Nike. Jewelry by: Charlie Lapson. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

“It was such a wonderful expression of women’s empowerment,” Bird told SI Swimsuit. “And celebrating what WNBA players were doing on the court and off the court.”

dark. Next. Bikini Styles Explained: From Classic Cuts to Trend-Forward Designs. Bikini Styles Explained: From Classic Cuts to Trend-Forward Designs