REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Megan Rapinoe received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden in early July.
But without the help of a teammate, she may very well have missed her moment at the White House.
While in Denver with the US Women's National team, the pink-haired soccer star was eating lunch with teammates and playing music on a portable speaker when her phone began to ring. The caller ID read "The White House," and Rapinoe automatically assumed it was a robocall or a prank from her teammates — who know as well as anyone that she's famously spurned White House invites in the past.
AP Photo/David Vincent
But after a few rings, longtime USWNT defender Kelley O'Hara — who lives in DC and plays for the National Women's Soccer League's Washington Spirit — astutely nudged her superstar teammate to answer her phone.
"You probably need to pick that up," O'Hara told the striker, per US Soccer's story.
So she did, and after a voice on the other side of the line asked her to confirm her identity, they told her to "please hold for the President of the United States." Then, Biden's voice informed her that she was receiving the highest civilian honor in the United States. With the recognition came an invitation to the White House — one she happily accepted this time.
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
"I keep saying 'I'm just shook,'" Rapinoe said at a USWNT press conference. "Totally overwhelmed and just completely honored by this. It's really hard to find the words to express how special this is and what this means to me."
Rapinoe flew in from Mexico — where the USWNT has spent most of July competing in the CONCACAF W Championship — for the special occasion. Family and loved ones — including her fiancée, WNBA superstar Sue Bird — joined Rapinoe in Washington, DC, to experience the moment alongside the two-time World Cup champion.
"I've been lucky to have gone to the White House, but it's been for sports," Bird told Insider during WNBA All-Star weekend. "And while winning championships is amazing, there was a different era in the room. Especially when you looked up at all the recipients, obviously watching Megan being honored the way she was."
"It was my first time going to the White House for someone else, so it was really special to be able to be there to support her," she added. "It's a once in a lifetime moment that I didn't wanna miss."
Shortly after the July 7 ceremony, Rapinoe hopped on a plane back to Monterrey, Mexico, to rejoin her USWNT teammates in the hunt for bids to the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics. Later that same evening, as Rapinoe returned to the tournament facilities, the Stars and Stripes punched their ticket to next year's World Cup with a lopsided win over Jamaica.
In addition to celebrating the team's feat, Rapinoe almost certainly used the opportunity to thank O'Hara one more time for her crucial assist on the Presidential Medal of Freedom front.
REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
The USWNT will now continue their pursuit of an automatic spot in the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Rapinoe and company are set to face Costa Rica in the semifinals Thursday night, and fans can tune in to watch at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
