18 lesbian sports power couples who are winning at life and love
| 03/27/25
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From left: lesbian sports power couples Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird; DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith; Kristie Mewis and Sam Kerr.
Meg Oliphant/Getty Images; Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images; John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images
Sports fans are all too familiar with fierce team rivalries and player feuds, but when it comes to sapphic athletes, love is in the air!
From married soccer greats to hockey-playing couples to WNBA stars who play for the same team, there are lesbian power couples on the ice, court and field who have found love with a fellow athlete.
These lesbian power couples are proving that it’s possible to be a fierce competitor and find time for love!
Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird
Megan Rapinoe #15 of OL Reign holds hands with Sue Bird after losing to NJ/NY Gotham FC in the 2023 NWSL Championship game at Snapdragon Stadium on November 11, 2023 in San Diego, California.
Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
When it comes to professional athlete power couples, there is no question that Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird would be at the top. Rapinoe played for various teams, including for the U.S. Women's National Team, and is one of the most decorated players in the sport. Bird boasted a stellar career in the WNBA, playing for the Seattle Storm, as well as for Team USA in five consecutive Olympics. The two have been dating since 2017, were engaged in 2020, and post-retirement from professional sports, the duo hosts the podcast A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe together.
Allie Quigley and Courtney Vindersloot
Courtney Vandersloot (L) #22 and Allie Quigley #14 of the Chicago Sky warm up before a game against the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena on August 11, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Allie Quigley and Courtney Vindersloot are the ultimate WNBA power couple on and off the court. The two got married in 2018 while both women were playing for the Chicago Sky and then wowed everyone when they became the first married couple to win a professional sports championship together after taking home the trophy for the WNBA Championship in 2021.
Vandersloot is a five-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA champion who just returned to play for the Sky after leaving to join the New York Liberty where she helped the team win the WNBA Championship in 2024. Quigley, who was named the WNBA All-Star in 2017, 2018, and 2019, played for the Sky until 2023 when she announced she’d be sitting out the season but didn’t officially retire.
Kristie Mewis and Sam Kerr
Chelsea's Sam Kerr (left) poses with girlfriend Gotham FC's Kristie Mewis after victory in the Vitality Women's FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday May 15, 2022.
John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images
Soccer love birds Kristie Mewis, who plays for West Ham United, and Sam Kerr, who plays for Chelsea, met in 2020 and made their relationship Instagram official after a hug between them was caught on film at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and went viral setting off speculation by fans. The pair got engaged in 2023 and are now expecting a baby together later this year.
Helen Richardson-Walsh and Kate Richardson-Walsh
Former Great Britain hockey captain Kate Richardson-Walsh (R) and her wife Helen pose at Buckingham Palace in London after the investiture ceremony where they received an OBE and MBE respectively on February 17, 2017.
DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP via Getty Images
British hockey players Helen Richardson-Walsh and Kate Richardson-Walsh aren’t just winners; they’re winners together! Helen and Kate became the were the first same-sex married couple to ever win an Olympic gold medal when Team Great Britain won at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Both women have since retired from the sport but have been using their fame to speak out publicly against anti-trans sports bills and JK Rowling’s anti-trans views.
Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead
English football players Beth Mead and Viviane Miedema pose for photos during the Green Carpet Arrivals prior The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022 on February 27, 2023 in Paris, France.
Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Pro soccer players Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead started dating back in 2022 and played for Arsenal together before Miedema moved onto Machester. Miedema left Arsenal after dealing with panic attacks and anxiety and while Mead is supportive of her exit, she hopes they won’t have to play against each other in the future.
“Obviously she wanted something new, she wanted a new challenge, and I wish her the best—just not when she’s playing against Arsenal,” Mead told OneFootball.
Anya Packer and Madison Packer
Anya Packer, Madison Packer at iHeartRadio Z100's Jingle Ball 2024 at Madison Square Garden on December 13, 2024 in New York, New York.
Kristina Bumphrey/Billboard via Getty Images
Hockey stars Anya Packer and Madison Packer aren’t just making headlines together on the ice, but behind the microphone as well! Madison retired in 2024 after playing with the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s New York Sirens and Anya played for the Connecticut Whale before retiring to give birth to the couple’s two children before becoming the general manager for the Metropolitan Riveters and executive director of the Players Association. Now, the two moms are working together as host of their podcast These Packs Puck where they talk about the trials and tribulations of parenthood.
Julie Chu and Caroline Ouellette
Married retired hockey greats Julie Chu and Caroline Ouellette have moved off the ice and onto coaching as a duo. The two lovebirds, who share children Liv and Tessa, both had successful pro hockey careers before retiring, in fact, Ouellette was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023. During their time on the ice, Ouellette won six gold medals at the IIHF Women’s World Championships and four Clarkson Cups and Chu was a four-time Olympian with Team USA, Out Sports reports.
Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner
DeWanna Bonner #24 of the Connecticut Sun and Alyssa Thomas #25 of the Connecticut Sun walk the orange carpet prior to the Welcome Reception at RPM Seafood restaurant during the 2022 WNBA All-Star Weekend on July 8, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.
Quinn Harris/Getty Images
WNBA stars Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner are teammates on the court and in life. They both play for the Connecticut Sun and are such huge basketball lovers that they even got engaged during WNBA All-Star Weekend in 2023. Now, that’s what we call teamwork!
DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith
Indiana Fever forward NaLyssa Smith and Connecticut Sun guard/forward DiJonai Carrington pose for a photo following Game 2 of the first round of the WNBA Playoffs between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun on September 25, 2024.
Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Couple DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith used to have to play against each other on different teams, but in 2025 they’ll finally be shooting hoops together since they were both acquired by the Dallas Wings. The basketball dream couple are college sweethearts who started dating when they both played together at Baylor University.
Diamante and Kiera Hogan
All Elite Wrestling power couple Diamante and Kiera Hogan first went public with their relationship back in 2019 just weeks after Hogan first came out. The couple has been dating ever since and are now two of the hottest queer stars in the ring!
Christen Press and Tobin Heath
Christen Press and Tobin Heath attend RE-INC Women's World Cup Watch Party at Chief Clubhouse on July 21, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for RE-INC
Olympic soccer stars Christen Press and Tobin Heath dated in private for close to a decade before finally making their relationship public during an interview at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The cleat-wearing power couple is clearly a success story on and off the pitch since they earned a bronze for Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and were also part of the 2015 and 2019 World Cup-winning teams together.
Anna Petrakova and Candace Parker
Anna Petrakova and host Candace Parker attend Candace Parker’s Ace All-Star Party, presented by adidas and Meta at Cindy’s Rooftop on June 9, 2022 in Illinois.
Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for adidas
Former basketball players Anna Petrakova and Candace Parker not only found success on the court but have also built a loving family together. The two were married back in 2019 and now share three children. Parker, nicknamed “Ace,” is regarded as one of the best WNBA Players, making history as the first woman to commentate for the NBA of all time, and is now the president of Adidas women’s basketball. Petrakova is a former Russian basketball player and four-time Olympian who met Parker when they were playing together for UMMC Ekaterinburg and shared their first kiss after practice, People reports.
Breanna Stewart and Marta Xargay Casademont
Marta Xargay and Breanna Stewart attend "A Celebration of Olympic Basketball" presented by NBC Universal and NBA at Team USA House, Palais Brongniart on August 05, 2024 in Paris, France.
Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images for NBC Universal
Breanna Stewart and Marta Xargay Casademont are another WNBA power couple we can’t get enough of! Stewart is a New York Liberty player who married retired Spanish basketball player Xargay Casademont back in 2021 after speed running their relatioship. The couple met while they were both playing for a Russian professional women’s basketball before getting engaged, married, and welcoming their first of two children, all within a few months. Sometimes when you know, you know!
Marta and Carrie Lawrence
Soccer GOAT Marta, who played in six consecutive Olympics and is the leading scorer in the history of both men’s and women’s World Cups, is now just as successful in her personal life after getting engaged to Orlando Pride teammate Carrie Lawrence in 2024 after the soccer sweethearts started dating in 2022.
Marie-Philip Puolin and Laura Stacey
Marie-Philip Poulin #29 and Laura Stacey #7 of Team Canada celebrate during the medal ceremony after the Women's Ice Hockey Gold Medal match between Team Canada and Team United States on Day 13 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Wukesong Sports Centre on February 17, 2022 in Beijing, China.
Elsa/Getty Images
Marie-Philip Puolin and Laura Stacey make amazing teammates on and off the ice. The pair play together for the PWHL’s Montreal Victoire and became a rallying cry for inclusion after they were married in 2024. They’ve been playing together since 2017 and have wracked up an impressive record, taking home gold medals at the Olympics and World Championships as teammates.
Tziarra King and Jess Fishlock
Soccer dream couple Tziarra King and Jess Fishlock tied the knot back in 2023. King has been wracking up goals since she was in high school before moving on to pro soccer, where she played on the Seattle Reign alongside Fishlock before hanging up her cleats in 2024. Fishlock is still kicking butt on the pitch where she has played 11 seasons for the Reign and is also the Wales national team’s all-time scorer.
Emma Greco and Michela Cava
Hockey players Emma Greco and Michela Cava met while playing together on the Premier Hockey Federation’s Toronto Six and then were both brought on to Minnesota’s PWHL team. Now the couple is engaged and, for the first time, are having to play on different teams after Greco signed with the Boston Fleet and Cava remained with Minnesota. Luckily, the couple has managed to stay happily together and have yet to face off against each other, The Hockey News reports.
Meghan Duggan and Gillian Apps
Sometimes rivalry breeds attraction! Romeo and Juliet might have ended in tragedy, but Meghan Duggan and Gillian Apps have found love despite once being on opposing teams. The now-retired pro hockey players and former hockey rivals walked down the aisle together in 2018 and now have three beautiful children together.
