Nutrition is a huge part of an athlete’s life. And for the Seattle Storm icon, it is of utmost importance. So much so that her partner of 3 years also has to follow what the 5x Olympic gold medalist says. However, just like any other story about these two love birds, even something such as healthy eating has a humorous tale attached to it. Something that Megan Rapinoe recently opened up about.

In April, Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird sat down with Langely McNeal for a Summit at Sea session. There, the soccer legend mentioned how she and her twin sibling did not exactly eat with care and nutrition often took a backseat in their diet. She would eat pizza with coke and Mamba candies as her lunch in high school. Later, her mother switched to feeding them, “like horses which we were at the time,” according to Rapinoe.

However, things changed when she met Sue Bird at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Remembering her early dating days, she told McNeal, “Right when we first started dating, she let me do like two or three orders. Then she was like, ‘Okay I have an admission. We cannot be doing this. We’re not eating like this anymore. This is not what’s happening anymore.”

Talking about the only choice she had left, Rapinoe said, “I quickly grieved that part of my life and adapted into following Sue’s footsteps which I’ve been doing ever since. It has boded very well for me.” According to Sue Bird, Rapinoe would eat every fried option on the Thai menu throughout the day and she didn’t want to follow that.

In fact, the Seattle Storm guard impressed everyone in the league with how she performed despite being in the league for 20 years.

WNBA stars salute Sue Bird

Since Sue Bird entered the WNBA, she had a thrill about her. Why not when she was coming into the professional league as a first-overall pick after winning two NCAA championships with Geno Auriemma? While she ended up as a runner-up for the Rookie of the Year, she did go on to sweep four WNBA championships with the Storm within two decades of her entry into the W. Hence, with such dominance, every star in the pro wanted to be like her.

A’ja Wilson, the current MVP frontrunner and 2x WNBA champion said, “For Sue Bird, there’s only one way to describe her and that’s– great.” Freshly minted Minnesota Lynx Hall of Famer and Sue Bird’s then-opponent Maya Moore also said, “You really can’t speak to how hard it is to do what she’s doing, at the level she’s been doing, for as long as she’s been doing. She’s a legend.” Kristi Tolliver, Jewell Loyd, and Elena Delle Donne also added praises for the stellar performer.

Certainly, it has been quite a journey for Sue Bird. Both in the WNBA and as a Team USA star, this UConn alum has not only enhanced her own game at each level but also elevated the league as a whole. Clearly, her nutrition had some part to play.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.