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During late October, ACFC athlete Elizabeth Eddy posted her initial social media statement in nearly two years. Within her message, she responded to reports that the National Women's Soccer League had discreetly abandoned its policy of inclusion for transgender and intersex athletes, making the league's position unclear.

The next day, her opinion piece was republished completely by a different media outlet, giving it broader attention.

“I'm concerned that lacking clear guidelines about who the league is for, it will sacrifice its character and its momentum,” Eddy wrote.

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

Questioning the Real Threat

It's unclear how Eddy believes the NWSL's credibility has been harmed—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 highly competitive, influential in business and culture, and an integral part of the worldwide female football landscape.

Its growth trajectory seems mostly fine—audience numbers have increased every season, and expansion to sixteen clubs is scheduled for the coming years.

Analyzing the Evidence

Eddy references the Football Association's new prohibition on trans players as a success story. Yet, that ban is believed to affect only approximately twenty grassroots players out of millions soccer players. The impact in the US would likely be similarly minimal.

In 2021, when the league's trans inclusion policy was implemented, there were two trans players: Quinn and Kumi Yokoyama. They have both departed, and no openly transgender athletes presently play in the NWSL. On the 2025 season's opening weekend, the league welcomed its 1,000th participant. That's just two openly transgender individuals out of more than a thousand in league history.

Baseless Concerns and Actual Harm

Eddy's piece is framed as if there is a stream of transgender athletes ready to dominate the NWSL imminently. This is not the case. There are currently no out trans players playing at a professional level in the United States. Federal legislation expressly prohibits trans players from competing in university sports. Moreover, numerous scientifically reviewed research have demonstrated that transgender players have no biological advantages over cis athletes.

Without 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 league was painfully slow in supporting their star player. Likewise, another team's Temwa Chawinga and her sister have experienced comparable abuse.

“That article does not represent for our club in our dressing room,” team leader Sarah Gorden informed the media. “We don't agree with the content for a multitude of causes, but primarily the implications come across as discriminatory against trans people and prejudiced as well.”

Other Urgent Issues Facing the NWSL

Regardless if one were to overlook all that and believe 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 actually blunted the growth and affected its reputation.

• Employment standards for professionals continue to be a concern. Several ex- club employees are suing the team and the NWSL, alleging bias based on race and ability, unwanted advances, and failure to prevent discrimination.
• Player care is another area of concern. In spring, a player Savy King collapsed on the field, requiring urgent care. The match continued, even though players were clearly upset. The players' association called on the league to review their medical protocols.
• Severe climate protocols have also been challenged. During a nationally televised match, the NWSL commissioner reportedly threatened to fine a team over a disagreement in hot weather policies.
• Economic competition from leagues abroad like the Women's Super League is increasing, luring some of the NWSL's best players away from the NWSL and country where they built their professional lives.

Trans athletes were not involved into any one of these challenges. And it's improbable they will, irrespective of whether Eddy's suggestions are implemented.