Women's Soccer Faces Serious Challenges, Yet Why the Alarm About Trans Players?

On late October, ACFC athlete Elizabeth Eddy made her first online post in almost two years. In it, she responded to news that the National Women's Soccer League had quietly abandoned its policy of inclusion for trans and intersex players, leaving the league's future stance undecided.

The following day, her writing was shared completely by a different publication, giving it wider attention.

“I'm concerned that without clarity about who the league is for, it will lose its character and its growth,” stated Eddy.

The article broadly advocated for a prohibition on trans athletes from the NWSL to protect “the fairness of women's sports.”

Questioning the Real Threat

It remains uncertain how Eddy believes the league's credibility has been damaged—whether under its previous guidelines that permitted trans athletes or its present absence of policy. The organization, now in its thirteenth year, has developed a clear brand. It's extremely contested, influential in business and culture, and an integral part of the worldwide female football landscape.

The league's momentum appears largely strong—audience numbers have grown every season, and growth to sixteen clubs is planned for the coming years.

Examining the Data

Eddy references the English FA's recent ban on transgender athletes as a positive example. However, that restriction is believed to impact only approximately twenty amateur players out of millions soccer players. The impact in the US would likely be equally negligible.

In 2021, when the league's policy of inclusion was implemented, there were two trans players: Quinn and Kumi Yokoyama. Both have since left, and no out trans players presently compete in the league. On the 2025 season's opening weekend, the league welcomed its thousandth player. That's just two openly transgender individuals out of over 1,000 in league history.

Baseless Concerns and Actual Damage

Eddy's piece is written as if there is a pipeline of transgender athletes set to take over the league at a moment's notice. This is not the case. At present, there are no openly transgender players playing at a professional level in the United States. Federal legislation explicitly bans transgender athletes from competing in NCAA college soccer. Additionally, multiple peer-reviewed studies have demonstrated that transgender players have no inherent physical edge over cis athletes.

In the absence of openly transgender individuals, discriminatory behavior have continued along ethnic divisions. When Orlando Pride's Barbra Banda was awarded a top honor, she faced a surge of online abuse. The NWSL was slow to respond in defending their star player. Likewise, Kansas City Current's Temwa Chawinga and her sister faced comparable abuse.

“That article does not speak for our club in this locker room,” team leader Sarah Gorden told reporters. “We don't agree with the things written for a multitude of reasons, but primarily the implications come across as transphobic and prejudiced as well.”

Additional Urgent Problems Confronting the NWSL

Regardless if one were to ignore all that and believe that trans inclusion constitutes a real problem for the NWSL, it's hard to see how it would outrank any number of other issues that have truly blunted the growth and compromised its integrity.

• Employment standards for professionals remain a problem. Several ex- San Diego Wave employees are suing the team and the league, alleging bias based on race and ability, sexual harassment, and failure to stop prejudice.
• Athlete welfare is another issue. In spring, a player Savy King collapsed on the pitch, requiring emergency medical treatment. On-field play continued, despite teammates were clearly upset. The players' association called on the league to revisit their medical protocols.
• Severe climate guidelines have additionally been questioned. During a nationally televised match, the NWSL commissioner reportedly warned to penalize a team over a disagreement in hot weather policies.
• Financial rivalry from leagues abroad like the Women's Super League is increasing, attracting some of the NWSL's best players away from the NWSL and nation where they made their careers.

Trans athletes did not factor into any one of these issues. And it's improbable they will, irrespective of whether the proposed changes are implemented.