From left: pro athletes Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji; NaLyssa Smith and DiJonai Carrington; and Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead.

Women’s sports are full of heartwarming love stories between players, and while there are plenty of couples who are lucky enough to play for the same team, there are some who end up as rivals.

You may think that playing against each other in professional sports and for teams with fierce rivalries would be hard on a relationship, but these sapphics manage to make it work and are thriving in spite of having to compete against each other. Maybe competition even adds a little spice to their relationships!

There are players who were once teammates before being traded to different teams, athletes who have always played against each other, and multiple couples who are currently going head-to-head, but no matter what, their love for one another outweighs their competitive spirit.

NaLyssa Smith (Las Vegas Aces) and DiJonai Carrington (Dallas Wings)

NaLyssa Smith and Dijonai Carrington are college sweethearts that played together on the Dallas Wings until Smith was traded earlier this month to the Las Vegas Aces. After years of playing on opposing teams, the WNBA power couple were finally playing together for the first time since they were both Baylor star athletes, until that all came crashing down, and now the happy couple will be rivals once again.

Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride) and Racheal Kundananji (Bay FC)

Soccer stars Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji are currently playing for Zambia at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where they both scored in the opening match. But when they are not representing Zambia, these partners in life play on rival teams in the National Women’s Soccer League. Banda is a striker for the Orlando Pride, while Kundananji is a forward for the Bay FC.

Beth Mead (England’s Lionesses) and Vivianne Miedema (Netherland’s national team)

Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema started dating back in 2022 when they both played soccer for Arsenal, but that only lasted until Miedema moved onto play for Manchester. Now, the lovers are facing their biggest hurdle yet as they play against each other in the UEFA European Women’s Championship (AKA Euro 2025). Mead is playing for England’s Lionesses where she’s currently going head to head with Miedema who is representing the Netherlands’s national team.

Kristie Mewis (Chelsea) and Sam Kerr (West Ham United)

After going viral in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics when they were caught hugging on camera, and then subsequently announcing their engagement in 2023, soccer power couple Kristie Mewis and Sam Kerr have been rivals on the pitch for years. They may have collaborated when they had a baby in May 2025, but Mewis is currently playing for Chelsea while her fiancé plays for rival team West Ham United.

Celia Quansah (Trailfinders) and Meg Jones (Leicester Tigers)

Rugby stars Celia Quansah and Meg Jones competed together on the same rugby team in the Tokyo Olympics and were once both playing for the Leicester Tigers together, but this year Quansah was traded to the Trailfinders and now the happy couple will be competing against each other for the first time.