During late October, ACFC athlete Elizabeth Eddy posted her first online statement in almost two years. Within her message, she addressed news that the National Women's Soccer League had discreetly dropped its policy of inclusion for trans and intersex players, making the league's future stance unclear.
The next day, her writing was shared in full by a different media outlet, giving it wider attention.
“I worry that lacking clear guidelines about the league's intended participants, it will sacrifice its identity and its momentum,” Eddy wrote.
The article generally argued for a prohibition on trans athletes from the NWSL to preserve “the fairness of women's sports.”
Questioning the Real Threat
It remains uncertain how Eddy believes the league's credibility has been damaged—either under its previous guidelines that allowed trans athletes or its current absence of policy. The organization, now in its 13th season, has established a clear brand. It's highly competitive, commercially and culturally powerful, and an integral part of the global female football scene.
The league's momentum seems largely fine—viewership have grown each year, and expansion to 16 teams is scheduled for the coming years.
Examining the Evidence
Eddy references the Football Association's new prohibition on transgender athletes as a success story. However, that ban is believed to affect only 20 or so grassroots players out of millions soccer players. The impact in the United States would likely be similarly minimal.
Two years ago, when the NWSL's policy of inclusion was implemented, there were a couple trans players: one player and Kumi Yokoyama. Both have since left, and no openly transgender athletes presently compete in the NWSL. On the 2025 season's opening weekend, the NWSL celebrated its thousandth player. That's just two openly transgender individuals out of over 1,000 in the NWSL's existence.
Unfounded Concerns and Actual Harm
The article is written as if there is a stream of trans players set to take over the league imminently. There is no such thing. At present, there are no out trans players competing at a professional level in the US. Federal legislation explicitly bans transgender athletes from competing in NCAA college soccer. Additionally, multiple peer-reviewed studies have shown that transgender players have no biological advantages over cis athletes.
In the absence of out trans people, transphobic attacks have continued along racial lines. When Orlando Pride's Barbra Banda was awarded player of the year, she faced a surge of online abuse. The league was slow to respond in defending their star player. Likewise, Kansas City Current's Temwa Chawinga and her sister faced comparable mistreatment.
“That article does not speak for our club in this locker room,” Angel City FC captain Sarah Gorden informed reporters. “We don't agree with the content for a multitude of causes, but primarily the implications come across as discriminatory against trans people and racist as well.”
Other Pressing Problems Confronting the NWSL
Even if one were to overlook these points and believe that including transgender athletes constitutes a real problem for the NWSL, it's hard to see how it would outrank multiple of other issues that have truly blunted the league's momentum and compromised its integrity.
- Working conditions for professionals continue to be a concern. Six former club employees are suing the team and the NWSL, alleging racial and disability discrimination, sexual harassment, and negligence to stop discrimination.
- Player care is another area of concern. In spring, a player Savy King fell on the field, requiring urgent care. The match continued, even though players were clearly distraught. The NWSLPA called on the NWSL to revisit their medical protocols.
- Extreme weather guidelines have additionally been questioned. During a broadcast match, the league head allegedly warned to penalize a team over a disagreement in extreme heat procedures.
- Economic rivalry from leagues abroad like the WSL is growing, attracting some of the NWSL's best players away from the NWSL and country where they made their careers.
Transgender players did not factor into a single one of these challenges. And it's improbable they will, regardless of whether Eddy's suggestions come to pass.