Women's Football Confronts Significant Threats, So Why the Alarm About Trans Athletes?

During late October, Angel City FC athlete Elizabeth Eddy made her initial online post in almost two years. In it, she responded to reports that the National Women's Soccer League had quietly dropped its inclusion policy for transgender and intersex players, making the league's future stance unclear.

The following day, her opinion piece was republished in full by a different publication, providing wider attention.

“I'm concerned that without clarity about the league's intended participants, it will lose its character and its growth,” Eddy wrote.

The article broadly advocated for a prohibition on trans athletes from the NWSL to protect “the integrity of female athletics.”

Examining the Real Threat

It's unclear how Eddy thinks the NWSL's credibility has been harmed—either under its previous guidelines that allowed transgender players or its present lack of one. The organization, now in its thirteenth year, has developed a distinct identity. It's highly competitive, commercially and culturally powerful, and an essential part of the global women's soccer scene.

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

Examining the Data

Eddy cites the English FA's recent ban on trans players as a success story. However, that ban is believed to affect only approximately twenty amateur participants out of 5.5 million soccer players. The effect in the United States would likely be equally minimal.

In 2021, when the league's trans inclusion policy took effect, there were two trans players: Quinn 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 league celebrated its 1,000th participant. That's only two out trans players out of over 1,000 in league history.

Unfounded Fears and Actual Damage

The article is written as if there is a stream of transgender athletes set 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 professional level in the US. National laws explicitly bans trans players from competing in NCAA college soccer. Additionally, multiple scientifically reviewed studies have demonstrated that transgender players have no inherent physical edge over cisgender competitors.

In the absence of openly transgender individuals, discriminatory behavior have persisted along racial lines. When a club's Barbra Banda was awarded player of the year, she experienced a surge of digital harassment. The league was slow to respond in supporting their key athlete. Similarly, Kansas City Current's Temwa Chawinga and her sister have experienced similar mistreatment.

“The piece does not speak for our club in our dressing room,” Angel City FC captain Sarah Gorden informed the media. “We disagree with the content for a plethora of causes, but primarily the implications come across as discriminatory against trans people and prejudiced as well.”

Additional Urgent Problems Confronting the League

Regardless if one were to overlook all that and think that including transgender athletes represents a real problem for the league, it's difficult to see how it would surpass any number of other issues that have truly hindered the league's momentum and compromised its integrity.

• Employment standards for professionals continue to be a concern. Six former club employees are taking legal action against the team and the league, alleging racial and disability discrimination, sexual harassment, and negligence to stop prejudice.
• Athlete welfare is another issue. In May, Angel City defender Savy King collapsed on the pitch, requiring emergency medical treatment. On-field play continued, despite players were clearly upset. The NWSLPA called on the league to revisit their medical protocols.
• Extreme weather guidelines have also been questioned. During a broadcast match, the NWSL commissioner reportedly threatened to penalize a team over a disagreement in extreme heat procedures.
• Economic competition from leagues abroad like the Women's Super League is growing, luring top talent away from the league and nation where they made their careers.

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