NWSL Teammates Slam Elizabeth Eddy As 'Transphobic' For Essay Defending Women's Sports

Two Angel City FC captains publicly condemned teammate Elizabeth Eddy this week after the veteran midfielder spoke up for the integrity of women's soccer.

Eddy, who's been in the National Women's Soccer League since 2013, published a heartfelt essay on X last Sunday, calling on the NWSL to adopt a clear, sex-based eligibility policy to protect the women's category. 

Women's sports exist for a reason, she explained, and without biological standards, the female category will lose its identity and competitive fairness.

Predictably, some of Eddy's own teammates rushed to label her stance as "transphobic" and even "racist."

"That article does not speak for this team," Angel City captain Sarah Gorden said at a press conference Thursday.

"In this locker room, I've had a lot of convos with my teammates in the past few days, and they are hurt and they are harmed by the article, and also they are disgusted by some of the things that were said in the article. We don’t agree with the things written for a plethora of reasons, but mostly the undertones come across as transphobic and racist as well."

Gorden's vice captain, Angelina Anderson, echoed the same message.

"For me personally, when I think of LA and I think of Angel City, I think of a place that was founded upon inclusivity and love for all people," she said. "That's what our locker room is, that's what our staff is, that's what our fan base is. Angel City is a place for everyone. It always will be."

Teammates Pile On After Elizabeth Eddy Defends Women's Sports

Eddy's essay never once mentioned any player by name. It never singled out anyone for criticism. It simply presented a reasoned, science-based argument for sex-based athletic categories. It urged the NWSL to follow the lead of many international sports governing bodies, which now require sex verification for women's events.

"The NWSL must adopt a clear standard," Eddy wrote. "One option is all players must be born with ovaries, as the FA requires. Another option is an SRY gene test, like those World Athletics and World Boxing implemented."

Elizabeth Eddy published an essay urging the NWSL to adopt a female-only policy.

(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

But Gorden and Anderson took issue with both the content and the imagery used in the New York Post's editorialization of Eddy’s essay — particularly the decision to include a photo of Orlando Pride player Barbra Banda, a Zambian athlete who previously failed a sex eligibility test.

RELATED: Megan Rapinoe Praises BBC's 'Women's Footballer of The Year' Who Failed Sex Eligibility Test

"The article calls for genetic testing on certain players, and it has a photo of an African player as a headline, and that’s very harmful," Gorden said. "To me it’s inherently racist, because to single out this community based on them looking or being different is absolutely a problem."

She continued: "As a mixed woman with Black family, I’m devastated by the undertones of this article, and I feel very protective of my teammates and this community who are also hurt by this. That includes staff and everyone who is a supporter and a fan."

To be clear, Eddy did not choose that headline or that photo. The New York Post did. Her original essay — published on her own X account — focused on protecting women’s sports and did not include names or pictures.

And while the club and league have not disciplined Eddy for speaking out, Angel City FC made its stance clear in a statement on Tuesday: "We respect the right for an individual to express their opinion, [but it] does not reflect the opinion of an entire organization. Since our founding, Angel City has remained committed to equity, inclusion, and belonging." 

Signage reading "trans people belong in sports" during the NWSL game between Bay FC and Angel City FC at PayPal Park on May 17, 2025 in San Jose, California.

(Photo by Kelley L Cox/NWSL via Getty Images)

Elizabeth Eddy has played just 87 minutes for Angel City across three seasons and did not appear in a single match during the 2025 campaign. Her contract expires at the end of the season, which wraps Sunday.

And unfortunately, her story is becoming all too common. A woman speaks up in defense of fairness, and she's cast aside, condemned and called names for refusing to bend the knee to gender ideology.

"Just as we built a new space for women to compete in the largest arenas, now we must honor that commitment and make the National Women’s Soccer League for women," she wrote.

Obviously.

But apparently, that kind of common sense doesn't go over well in the Angel City locker room.