Megan Rapinoe honored by team OL Reign in front of record NWSL crowd of 34,130

Oct 8, 2023, 2:20 PM

Megan Rapinoe #15 of OL Reign in action against the Washington Spirit on during her last home regular-season NWSL match at Lumen Field on October 06, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

BY ANNE M. PETERSON, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEATTLE (AP) 鈥� It鈥檚 rare that Megan Rapinoe is at a loss for words.

The retiring star was honored by club team OL Reign on Friday night in front of a National Women鈥檚 Soccer League record crowd of 34,130 fans, many of whom wore pink wigs in her honor.

“I do know my impact but it鈥檚 one thing to know it, and another thing to really feel it and see it. To see some of the signs and the pink wigs and see what that means to people,” she said. “It鈥檚 hard to put just this deep sense of gratitude and joy and thankfulness for being able to have a moment like this into words.”

With her family and fianc茅 Sue Bird looking on, Rapinoe started for the Reign in a scoreless draw against the Washington Spirit. Lumen Field鈥檚 public address system played “Ain鈥檛 No Sunshine When She鈥檚 Gone” when she took to the field with her teammates.

More on Megan Rapinoe: Seattle soccer star Megan Rapinoe takes final bow with USWNT

Rapinoe had already played her final match with the聽 but Friday marked her final regular-season home game for the Reign.

“I don鈥檛 ever think we took it for granted our 11 years here one bit. I think that鈥檚 how Pinoe lives, she lives with this joy, she lives for those moments, and she really pushes us to also do that,” teammate Lauren Barnes said. “I think it鈥檚 undeniable the positive impact she鈥檚 had.”

A video played before the match included well-wishes from such luminaries as Abby Wambach, Ken Griffey Jr., Magic Johnson and Billie Jean King.

The 38-year-old Rapinoe has played in 114 regular-season games for the Reign and scored 49 goals. Her club career isn鈥檛 quite over: Next week the Reign wrap up the season on the road against the Chicago Red Stars.

And there鈥檚 a possibility the Reign make the playoffs. With Racing Louisville鈥檚 3-2 victory over the Orlando Pride earlier Friday, the Reign moved into sixth place in the standings, just above the playoff line.

More on Megan Rapinoe: OL Reign celebrating Megan Rapinoe ahead of Friday鈥檚 home match

Rapinoe announced before this summer鈥檚 Women鈥檚 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand that she was stepping away from the game after an illustrious career that included two World Cup titles, an Olympic gold medal and an Olympic bronze.

At the 2019 World Cup in France, Rapinoe scored six goals,聽聽With her lavender hair, her victory pose 鈥� arms outstretched 鈥� became one of the iconic images of the dominant U.S. run.

She claimed the tournament鈥檚 Golden Boot and the Golden Ball for the best overall player, and later that year was named the Best FIFA Women鈥檚 Player and聽

She has been with the Reign since 2013, and is one of just five players league-wide who have remained with the same team since the NWSL鈥檚 launch.

Commissioner Jessica Berman hopes Rapinoe will continue to play a role in the league.

“It鈥檚 hard to put into words the impact she鈥檚 had on the game, both on the pitch and off the pitch. She has embodied courage and bravery in a way that I don鈥檛 know many athletes have done,” Berman said. “And she鈥檚 really embraced her role with her full authentic self.”

Rapinoe is also known for her social justice activism. She led the national team鈥檚 long fight for equal pay with the men鈥檚 national team, which started with an EEOC complaint in 2016. It was finally resolved last year, when聽.

More on Megan Rapinoe: Megan Rapinoe says she鈥檒l retire after the NWSL season and her 4th World Cup

Among prominent athletes to publicly come out, Rapinoe has been outspoken about LGBTQ issues, including transgender rights. She has also advocated for racial equity, and was among those who knelt in solidarity with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

“That鈥檚 what really matters. Of course we love playing, we want to make the league better in every possible way that we can. But it鈥檚 a game at the end of the day and it鈥檚 something that we get to use to what I feel the point of life is: To use what you have to better yourself and make people better around you and leave things in a better place than where you found them,” Rapinoe said. “To me that鈥檚 the whole point and that鈥檚 what I take most pride in.”