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During late October, Angel City FC player Elizabeth Eddy made her initial social media post in nearly two years. In it, she responded to reports that the NWSL had quietly dropped its inclusion policy for trans and intersex players, leaving the league's future stance undecided.

The next day, her writing was republished in full by another publication, providing broader exposure.

“I worry that lacking clear guidelines about who the league is for, it will lose its identity and its momentum,” stated Eddy.

Her piece broadly advocated for a prohibition on transgender players from the NWSL to preserve “the integrity of female athletics.”

Examining the Actual Risk

It remains uncertain how Eddy believes the NWSL's integrity has been damaged—whether under its former policy that permitted trans athletes or its current absence of policy. The league, now in its thirteenth year, has established a clear identity. It's extremely contested, commercially and culturally powerful, and an integral part of the worldwide female football scene.

Its growth trajectory appears mostly fine—audience numbers have increased every season, and growth to 16 teams is planned for the coming years.

Examining the Data

Eddy cites the Football Association's recent ban on trans players as a success story. However, that ban is believed to impact only approximately twenty grassroots participants out of 5.5 million soccer players. The impact in the US would likely be similarly minimal.

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

Baseless Concerns and Real Harm

The article is written as if there is a pipeline of trans players ready to dominate the league at a moment's notice. There is no such thing. At present, there are no out trans players playing at a professional level in the US. Federal legislation explicitly prohibits transgender athletes from competing in university sports. Additionally, numerous scientifically reviewed studies have shown that transgender players have no biological advantages over cisgender competitors.

In the absence of out trans people, transphobic attacks have persisted along ethnic divisions. When a club's Barbra Banda was awarded a top honor, she faced a surge of online abuse. The league was painfully slow in supporting their key athlete. Similarly, another team's Temwa Chawinga and her sister faced comparable mistreatment.

“That article does not represent for this team in our dressing room,” team leader Sarah Gorden told reporters. “We don't agree with the things written for a plethora of causes, but mostly the implications come across as transphobic and racist as well.”

Other Urgent Problems Confronting the League

Even if one were to overlook these points and believe that including transgender athletes represents a genuine issue for the NWSL, it's hard to see how it would surpass multiple of other issues that have truly blunted the league's momentum and compromised its reputation.

• Employment standards for staff remain a problem. Six former San Diego Wave employees are taking legal action against the club and the league, alleging racial and disability discrimination, sexual harassment, and negligence to prevent discrimination.
• Player care is another issue. In May, a player Savy King fell on the field, requiring emergency medical treatment. The match continued, despite players were visibly distraught. The players' association called on the NWSL to revisit their health procedures.
• Severe climate protocols have also been questioned. During a nationally televised match, the NWSL commissioner allegedly warned to penalize a team over a dispute in hot weather policies.
• Economic rivalry from European leagues like the WSL is growing, luring top talent away from the league and nation where they made their careers.

Transgender players did not factor into a single one of these challenges. And it's unlikely they will, regardless of whether Eddy's suggestions are implemented.