Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe have officially ended their relationship after nearly a decade together.

The retired professional athletes confirmed their separation Friday in a shared post on their social media accounts.

“There really is no smooth or easy way to share this news. After a lot of thought, we’ve made the decision to separate as a couple,” they wrote on Instagram. “This hasn’t been an easy decision, but it’s one we’ve made together, with so much love, respect and care for each other.”

Noting that their joint podcast, “A Touch More,” would also be concluding, they added: “We’ve shared a whole life over the last decade, though big moments and in quiet ones, and that is something we’ll always carry with us.”

Rapinoe, the former U.S. soccer star who led her team to a World Cup victory in 2019, and Bird, a former WNBA player, began dating in 2016. At the time, both women were competing for Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro — Bird in basketball, and Rapinoe in soccer.

In 2018, the pair became the first same-sex couple to pose nude for ESPN Magazine’s “Body Issue,” and two years later, they got engaged.

News of Bird and Rapinoe’s split appears to have caught many of their fans off-guard, given that both women had spoken fondly of one another in recent interviews and on social media.

“It’s better to separate on good terms. Despite not knowing the whole story, we know it’s a tough decision in any degree and wasn’t made lightly,” one person wrote in the comments of their Instagram post. “Wishing you both all the best as you take on your new beginning.”

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