Taking it all in one last time while wearing the U.S. Soccer crest, Rapinoe reflected on how she and her generation had changed the game during her 17 years on the team.
The president will present the nation's highest civilian honor to 17 people, who also include Oscar-winning Denzel Washington, the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and soccer Olympian Megan Rapinoe.
It was not the color medal the U.S. had hoped for, but it was a better result than at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics when the USWNT was bounced out of the tournament in the quarterfinals.
Critics are outraged, saying the anti-doping agency for the Games is ignoring the actions of the white athlete on the heels of suspending the Black sprinter this month.
