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During late October, Angel City FC player Elizabeth Eddy posted her first online post in nearly two years. In it, she addressed reports that the NWSL had quietly dropped its policy of inclusion for trans and intersex players, leaving the league's position unclear.

The following day, her writing was shared in full by a different publication, giving it wider attention.

“I worry that lacking clear guidelines about the league's intended participants, it will sacrifice its character and its growth,” Eddy wrote.

Her piece generally argued for a prohibition on trans athletes from the NWSL to preserve “the fairness of female athletics.”

Questioning the Real Threat

It's unclear how Eddy thinks the NWSL's integrity has been damaged—either under its former policy that allowed transgender players or its current lack of one. The organization, now in its thirteenth year, has established a distinct identity. It's extremely contested, influential in business and culture, and an essential part of the global female football landscape.

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

Analyzing the Data

Eddy references the English FA's new prohibition on transgender athletes as a success story. However, that restriction is thought to impact only approximately twenty amateur players out of 5.5 million soccer players. The impact in the US would likely be similarly negligible.

Two years ago, when the NWSL's policy of inclusion took effect, there were two transgender athletes: one player and Kumi Yokoyama. They have both departed, and no openly transgender athletes currently compete in the NWSL. On the current season's first matchdays, the league welcomed its 1,000th player. That's only two openly transgender individuals out of more than a thousand in league history.

Baseless Fears and Actual Damage

Eddy's piece is framed as if there is a stream of trans players set to dominate the NWSL imminently. There is no such thing. At present, there are no out trans players playing at a professional level in the United States. Federal legislation expressly bans transgender athletes from participating in NCAA college soccer. Additionally, multiple peer-reviewed research have shown that trans athletes have no biological advantages over cisgender competitors.

Without of openly transgender individuals, transphobic attacks have continued along ethnic divisions. When a club's Barbra Banda was awarded player of the year, she experienced a wave of online abuse. The NWSL was painfully slow in supporting their key athlete. Similarly, Kansas City Current's Temwa Chawinga and her sister faced comparable abuse.

“The piece does not represent for our club 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.”

Additional Pressing Problems Confronting the NWSL

Even if one were to overlook all that and believe that including transgender athletes represents a genuine issue for the league, it's hard to see how it would outrank any number of other issues that have actually blunted the league's momentum and compromised its reputation.

• Working conditions for staff remain a concern. Several ex- club employees are suing the team and the NWSL, alleging racial and disability discrimination, unwanted advances, and negligence to prevent discrimination.
• Athlete welfare is a further issue. In spring, a player Savy King fell on the field, requiring emergency medical treatment. On-field play resumed, despite teammates were visibly upset. The players' association called on the league to revisit their medical protocols.
• Severe climate protocols have additionally been questioned. During a broadcast match, the league head reportedly threatened to fine a club over a disagreement in extreme heat procedures.
• Economic competition from leagues abroad like the Women's Super League is growing, 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 a single one of these issues. And it's improbable they will, irrespective of whether Eddy's suggestions come to pass.