Megan Rapinoe bid farewell to Seattle’s OL Reign before her final home game as fans honored her with pink hair as the team’s head coach and stars including Billie Jean King, Magic Johnson and Ken Griffey Jr. paid tribute to the All-American heroine paid tribute.
A record number of over 33,000 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) fans attended Friday night’s game at Lumen Field, with the Reign hosting the Washington Spirit in the penultimate regular season game of the season. Rapinoe and Co. will then travel to Chicago to face the Red Stars at SeatGeek Stadium on October 15th.
OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey added Rapinoe to her team’s starting lineup. The 38-year-old was deployed on the left wing, where she scored two goals and recorded five assists in 14 games this season.
Rapinoe is hoping to win her final home game with her club after her time with the U.S. women’s national team ended abruptly in August. The forward was one of three U.S. players to miss a penalty in the Round of 16 loss to Sweden, the team’s worst result at the tournament in history.
“Hey Megan! It’s Billie Jean [King]” said the 12-time Grand Slam champion in a tribute video for Rapinoe shown before kick-off on Friday. “You are a legend and a leader!” And we look forward to the next part of your journey.”
Megan Rapinoe was honored Friday before her final home game for the OL Reign in Seattle
Fans honored Rapinoe by wearing pink hair wigs and setting an NWSL attendance record (33,000) at Lumen Field on Friday night
Rapinoe warms up before their final home game of the regular season against the Washington Spirit
“Pinoe, what can I say… you did it all!” then said Abby Wambach – the all-time leading scorer in the history of the US Women’s National Team. “You’ve been a part of the biggest games, the biggest moments.” They’ve won the biggest championships multiple times. You’ve won every individual award possible, and to top it off, you and the team were able to secure equal pay.”
Rapinoe has been involved in the women’s team’s equal pay complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission since at least 2016. In March 2019, she, along with 27 of her U.S. women’s soccer teammates, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, accusing it of gender discrimination in hopes of achieving equal pay.
The following May, a judge dismissed key parts of the lawsuit, including a complaint about lower pay than the U.S. men’s team, but allowed other claims to go to trial.
Rapinoe has long advocated for the inclusion of transgender women in women’s sports, calling the issue part of a larger effort to “strip people of their full humanity by law.”
British-American broadcaster Roger Bennett – host of NBC’s “Men in Blazers” – praised Rapinoe’s “courage,” adding that she had “no fear” and “no excuses.”
“A footballer who transcended our football bubble,” Bennett continued, while three-time Olympic gold medalist and skier Mikaela Sheffrin, first gentleman Doug Enhoff and former Seattle Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. also celebrated the two-time world champion’s career.
Commanders minority owner and Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, former U.S. women’s soccer teammate Ali Krieger and Rapinoe’s siblings Rachael and Austin, as well as her parents Jim and Denise, also paid tribute to the 2012 London Olympics gold medalist.
“It gives you the platform to believe you can be anything you want.”
Not many players have seen their head coach break down in tears like that. This is the impact of Megan Rapinoe that we have talked about and will continue to report on.
– SHE scores with banging effects (@SHEscoresbanger) October 6, 2023
Harvey, who is from Nuneaton, England, broke down in tears as he sat next to Rapinoe at a news conference before the star’s final home game of the regular season, even going so far as to say the former U.S. captain helped She reveals to friends and family that she has been romantically interested in women in the past.
Rapinoe has been engaged to WNBA legend Sue Bird since 2020. In July 2012, she came out publicly after stating that she knew she was a lesbian during her freshman year at the University of Portland.
“I think I’ve said that a lot, and you know, I was a young coach when I came out.” [at] “32 and I’ve never really lived authentically,” Harvey told reporters. “And I think, you know, being with someone like that [Megan]… she gives you the platform to believe that you can be anything you want.’
The Reign presented an award to celebrate Rapinoe’s retirement before she took the field on Friday.
Her career was honored with a “Forever Reign, Forever Rapinoe” flag flown at Lumen Field by Seattle-based rock band Pearl Jam founder Mike McCready.
In an interview with CBS before their final home game against the Reign, Rapinoe was asked if she felt her legacy left “the game in better shape” than when it started.
“Come on,” the Redding, California native said before raising her hands in the air in a sign of acknowledgment. ‘Naturally. This doesn’t just apply to me, and I say it a little arrogantly, but only because I speak on behalf of all the players of my generation.
I think this generation of gamers has changed the game forever and it’s up to this next generation to take the platform they’re on now to places we didn’t even know were possible.
“Move the ball forward.”
Rapinoe is the winner of the Women’s Ballon d’Or and was named FIFA’s best player in 2019, in addition to her two World Cup titles and gold medal at the 2012 Olympics. She also played for the USA at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where the team finished second.
From 2018 to 2020, Rapinoe was co-captain of the national team alongside Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan. She previously played for the Red Stars, Philadelphia Independence and MagicJack in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) and for Olympique Lyon in the French women’s premier football league.
Rapinoe was named to Time Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2020. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden in July last year.