Expect the next three weeks to be packed on the sports calendar. Why, you ask? Well, the madness of the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament is finally here! The fate of 64 teams will be decided on the court as they battle it out from March 22 to April 6, all vying for the championship crown. As excitement builds, fans everywhere are joining the bracket challenge to predict the ultimate winner. Even Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird have jumped on board. However, the USWNT icon playfully called out her significant other for biasedly prioritizing her own ‘safety.’

It all began with Togethxr—a media and commerce company co-founded by Bird alongside Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, and Alex Morgan—launching a March Madness bracket challenge. In this challenge, participants must use the full tournament schedule sheet to predict the winners of each game and round. Hence, both Megan and Sue were also inclined to partake.

In one of the latest episodes of the A Touch More podcast, both co-hosts revealed their shared bracket. Notably, from Regional 1 Spokane, the couple chose UCLA, while their pick for Regional 4 Spokane was UConn. But interestingly enough, Rapinoe wasn’t entirely committed to her significant other’s former collegiate team, as the NWSL icon kept USC in the loop as well. In fact, the former USWNT forward quickly clarified why she felt obligated to stick with her original Regional 4 selection.

“I feel like in parentheses under UConn is USC because Sue, for her safety reasons, has to pick UConn,” emphasized Rapinoe, hitting Bird with a zinger, as her hilarious surprising reaction said it all. In response, the WNBA icon jokingly said, “And this is where the bias shows,” with the former Seattle Reign star also agreeing. Further making the case for UConn, Bird added, “I’m cheering for my team.”

Still, Megan stood firm. While she supported UConn, the former Seattle Reign star kept USC as her backup choice in case they progressed instead. “So we have to pick UConn, obviously, and we believe in them. But you know, if USC goes, then that feels like my pick also,” said the 2019 Ballon d’Or winner.

However, that only saw Bird end up giving an explanation of why she decided to play safe. “Listen, I’m not going to lie, okay? Do I want to see UCLA and USC play against each other for the fourth time this year in the final four? Do I want that storyline? I mean I just bagged on the committee for not thinking about storylines. There’s a part of me that wants that storyline but not more than my own safety. So UConn’s in the final four,” said the part-owner of Seattle Storm.

Agreeing by giving a side split reaction, Pinoe then shared the latter two sides from Regional 2 and Regional 3 Birmingham, which were South Carolina and Notre Dame, respectively. In the finals, UConn triumphed over UCLA, while South Carolina overpowered Notre Dame. With only two teams left, their final choice was obvious. “UConn is going to win. Paige Bueckers is going to ride off into glory right into Dallas to start her WNBA career,” added Rapinoe.

So, it’s set then. Huskies and their star player Bueckers are clear winners in the eyes of Bird and Rapinoe, even though it comes due to biased nature. The same can be said for Pinoe’s former colleague and best friend!

Alex Morgan follows Megan Rapinoe-Sue Bird’s suit amid March Madness

Just imagine the kind of buzz March Madness carries as it even saw prominent soccer figures like Alex Morgan also partake in the challenge. The former San Diego Waves forward had also shared her bracket on Togethxr’s Instagram page. Interestingly, her final four saw USC defeat Angel Reese’s LSU in the battle of the Spokane region.

Meanwhile, South Carolina emerged from Regional 2 Birmingham, while Ohio State represented Regional 3 Birmingham. Among the two, Morgan picked South Carolina to advance to the final. Ultimately, USC claimed the NCAA tournament title, defeating South Carolina to secure the championship.

Now, one could also argue that Morgan favored her former college basketball team to win. So, is this a similar biased choice to the one Sue Bird was teased for by Megan Rapinoe? Let us know in the comments!