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During the end of October, ACFC athlete Elizabeth Eddy made her first social media statement in nearly two years. In it, she addressed news that the NWSL had quietly dropped its inclusion policy for trans and intersex players, making the league's position undecided.

The next day, her writing was shared in full by a different publication, giving it broader exposure.

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

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

Questioning the Actual Risk

It's unclear how Eddy thinks the league's credibility has been damaged—either under its former policy that allowed transgender players or its present absence of policy. The league, now in its thirteenth year, has developed a clear brand. It's extremely contested, commercially and culturally powerful, and an integral part of the global women's soccer landscape.

Its growth trajectory appears mostly fine—viewership have grown each year, and growth to sixteen clubs is scheduled for the coming years.

Analyzing the Evidence

Eddy references the Football Association's recent ban on trans players as a positive example. However, that restriction is thought to affect only approximately twenty amateur players out of millions soccer players. The effect in the United States would likely be equally negligible.

In 2021, when the league's policy of inclusion took effect, there were a couple transgender athletes: one player and Kumi Yokoyama. Both have since left, and no openly transgender athletes currently play in the league. On the 2025 season's first matchdays, the NWSL 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 trans players set to dominate the league imminently. There is no such thing. There are currently no openly transgender players competing at a professional level in the United States. National laws expressly bans transgender athletes from competing in NCAA college soccer. Moreover, multiple scientifically reviewed research have shown that trans athletes have no inherent physical edge over cisgender competitors.

Without of out trans people, discriminatory behavior have persisted along ethnic divisions. When Orlando Pride's Barbra Banda was awarded player of the year, she experienced a surge of digital harassment. The NWSL was slow to respond in defending their star player. Similarly, another team's Temwa Chawinga and her sister faced similar mistreatment.

“That article does not speak for our club in this locker room,” team leader Sarah Gorden informed the media. “We don't agree with the content for a plethora of reasons, but primarily the undertones come across as discriminatory against trans people and racist as well.”

Additional Urgent Problems Facing the NWSL

Regardless if one were to overlook all that and think that including transgender athletes represents a genuine issue 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 compromised its integrity.

• Employment standards for professionals continue to be a problem. Several ex- club employees are suing the team and the league, alleging racial and disability discrimination, unwanted advances, and negligence to stop discrimination.
• Athlete welfare is another issue. In spring, a player Savy King fell on the pitch, requiring emergency medical treatment. On-field play continued, despite teammates were clearly upset. The NWSLPA called on the league to review their medical protocols.
• Severe climate guidelines have also been questioned. During a nationally televised match, the NWSL commissioner reportedly warned to penalize a team over a disagreement in extreme heat procedures.
• Economic competition from leagues abroad like the WSL is growing, attracting top talent away from the league and country where they built their professional lives.

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