We all knew going into this Women's World Cup, it would be the final USWNT tournament for the legendary Megan Rapinoe, which made the team's early exit even more discouraging. But across her career, Rapinoe has given us more than her share of iconic moments, with 202 caps, 63 international goals, an Olympic Gold Medal and a pair of World Cup titles.
Since 2015, Getty Images photographer Elsa, has been there to capture many of the biggest moments. FanSided was lucky enough to have Elsa share some of her thoughts on photographing Rapinoe's remarkable career, along with some of her favorite images.
"I have been fortunate enough to have a front row seat to the career of Megan Rapinoe for almost a decade, capturing some of her most pivotal and iconic moments on the USWNT. She is an incredibly gifted athlete. She plays with a unique combination of grace and grit. Watching her interact with her teammates, I get the sense that she cares about them deeply. She has a fierceness to her style of play but at the same time is not a selfish player. She passes to her teammates; she celebrates their victories as if they were her own. Their battles become her battles as well and I think that is a special quality to have. "
"Rapinoe also stands up and fights for what she believes is right –— and sometimes at a great personal cost — and that is something that I admire and appreciate tremendously. I have learned so much from her career and her activism on social issues. She shows us all how someone can be driven in their career, but also how to be a decent human being. What I have learned from her is how to be strong and how important it is for us as women to fight for equality. I think an amazing career
as an athlete is just a launching point for her. " — Elsa, Getty Images
Megan Rapinoe photo retrospective: Best Getty Images from her USWNT career
