🔗 Share this article

On late October, ACFC player Elizabeth Eddy posted her first social media post in nearly two years. In it, she addressed news that the NWSL had quietly abandoned its inclusion policy for trans and intersex players, making the organization's position undecided.

The next day, her opinion piece was shared completely by another publication, providing broader exposure.

“I worry that without clarity about who the league is for, it will lose its identity and its momentum,” stated Eddy.

Her piece broadly advocated for a prohibition on trans athletes from the league to protect “the integrity of women's sports.”

Questioning the Actual Threat

It's unclear how Eddy thinks the league's integrity has been damaged—either under its former policy that permitted trans athletes or its present lack of one. The league, 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 scene.

The league's momentum seems mostly strong—viewership have increased every season, and growth to 16 teams is scheduled for 2026.

Analyzing the Data

Eddy cites the English FA's new prohibition on transgender athletes as a positive example. However, that ban is believed to affect only 20 or so amateur participants out of millions soccer players. The effect in the US would likely be equally negligible.

Two years ago, when the league's trans inclusion policy took effect, there were two trans players: one player and Kumi Yokoyama. Both have since left, and no openly transgender athletes currently compete in the NWSL. On the 2025 season's first matchdays, the NWSL celebrated its thousandth participant. That's just two out trans players out of more than a thousand in the NWSL's existence.

Baseless Concerns and Actual Harm

Eddy's piece is written as if there is a stream of transgender athletes ready to take over the NWSL at a moment's notice. This is not the case. There are currently no openly transgender players competing at a elite level in the US. National laws explicitly prohibits trans players from competing in NCAA college soccer. Additionally, multiple peer-reviewed research have demonstrated that trans athletes have no biological advantages over cis athletes.

In the absence of openly transgender individuals, transphobic attacks have persisted along racial lines. When a club's Barbra Banda was named a top honor, she experienced a wave of digital harassment. The league was slow to respond in defending their star player. Likewise, Kansas City Current's Temwa Chawinga and her sister have experienced similar mistreatment.

“That article does not speak for this team in this locker room,” Angel City FC captain Sarah Gorden told reporters. “We don't agree with the things written for a multitude of reasons, but mostly the undertones come across as discriminatory against trans people and prejudiced as well.”

Other Urgent Problems Confronting the NWSL

Even if one were to ignore these points and think that including transgender athletes represents a real problem for the NWSL, it's hard to see how it would outrank any number of other issues that have truly hindered the league's momentum and affected its reputation.

• Employment standards for professionals remain a concern. Several ex- club employees are suing the club and the NWSL, alleging bias based on race and ability, unwanted advances, and failure to stop prejudice.
• Player care is a further issue. In May, Angel City defender Savy King collapsed on the field, requiring emergency medical treatment. The match resumed, despite teammates were clearly upset. The players' association called on the NWSL to revisit their health procedures.
• Severe climate protocols have also been challenged. During a broadcast match, the league head reportedly warned to fine a team over a disagreement in extreme heat procedures.
• Economic rivalry from European leagues like the WSL is growing, attracting some of the NWSL's best players away from the league and nation where they built their professional lives.

Transgender players did not factor into any one of these issues. And it's improbable they will, irrespective of whether Eddy's suggestions come to pass.