🔗 Share this article

During the end of October, ACFC athlete Elizabeth Eddy made her first social media post in nearly two years. In it, she addressed news that the National Women's Soccer League had quietly dropped its policy of inclusion for trans and intersex athletes, making the organization's future stance unclear.

The next day, her writing was republished completely by another publication, providing wider exposure.

“I'm concerned that without clarity about who the league is for, it will sacrifice its identity and its momentum,” stated Eddy.

Her piece generally argued for a prohibition on transgender players from the NWSL to preserve “the fairness of women's sports.”

Examining the Actual Risk

It remains uncertain how Eddy believes the NWSL's credibility has been harmed—either under its former policy that allowed trans athletes or its current lack of one. The organization, now in its thirteenth year, has established a distinct brand. It's extremely contested, commercially and culturally powerful, and an integral part of the worldwide women's soccer scene.

Its growth trajectory appears largely strong—audience numbers have grown every season, and growth to 16 teams is scheduled for 2026.

Examining the Evidence

Eddy references the English FA's recent ban on trans players as a positive example. However, that ban is believed to affect only approximately twenty grassroots players out of millions soccer players. The effect in the United States would likely be equally negligible.

In 2021, when the league's policy of inclusion took effect, there were a couple transgender athletes: Quinn and Kumi Yokoyama. They have both departed, and no openly transgender athletes currently play in the league. On the 2025 season's opening weekend, the league celebrated its thousandth player. That's just two out trans players out of more than a thousand in the NWSL's existence.

Baseless Fears and Real Harm

The article is written as if there is a stream of transgender athletes set to take over the NWSL at a moment's notice. There is no such thing. There are currently no out trans players playing at a professional level in the US. Federal legislation expressly bans transgender athletes from competing in university sports. Additionally, multiple peer-reviewed research have shown that trans athletes have no inherent physical edge over cis athletes.

In the absence of openly transgender individuals, transphobic attacks have continued along racial lines. When Orlando Pride's Barbra Banda was awarded player of the year, she experienced a surge of online abuse. The NWSL was painfully slow in defending their star player. Similarly, another team's Temwa Chawinga and her sister have experienced comparable mistreatment.

“The piece does not represent for this team in this locker room,” Angel City FC captain Sarah Gorden told the media. “We don't agree with the things written for a multitude of causes, but mostly the implications come across as discriminatory against trans people and racist as well.”

Other Urgent Problems Facing the NWSL

Regardless if one were to ignore these points and think that trans inclusion represents a genuine issue for the league, it's hard to see how it would outrank multiple of different challenges that have actually blunted the league's momentum and affected its reputation.

• Employment standards for staff continue to be a concern. Six former San Diego Wave employees are suing the club and the league, alleging racial and disability discrimination, sexual harassment, and negligence to stop discrimination.
• Athlete welfare is a further area of concern. In spring, a player Savy King fell on the field, requiring urgent care. On-field play resumed, despite players were clearly distraught. The NWSLPA called on the NWSL to revisit their health procedures.
• Severe climate protocols have also been challenged. During a broadcast match, the NWSL commissioner allegedly warned to penalize a club over a dispute in extreme heat procedures.
• Financial competition from European leagues like the WSL is increasing, luring some of the NWSL's best players away from the league and country where they made their careers.

Transgender players did not factor into a single one of these challenges. And it's unlikely they will, irrespective of whether the proposed changes come to pass.