With $1 Million Prize Money League Underway, 2X NWSL Champion Addresses Women Soccer Players’ Pay Gap

The pay gap has been a topic of discussion in US soccer for a long time. It began with USWNT going to an all-out war against the US Soccer Federation and winning it. The revolution the national team bought didn’t only help soccer, but also the player of every sport representing the USA on an international stage. However, the decision only affected the national team. Players still face a significant pay gap between NWSL and MLS players.

Given the NWSL is relatively a very new league when compared to MLS, voices are still rising to address the glaring topic. Megan Rapinoe, along with many players, played a very important role in the equal pay battle. For their efforts, they also earned praise from US Senator Maria Cantwell. She thanked the USWNT stars while presenting the equal pay for equal play rule.

NWSL star divulges on pay gap

Appearing on the Just Women’s Sports podcast recently, USWNT star Lynn Williams talked about the update NWSL is getting. Talking about an interesting incident about the induction of the Challengers Cup, she revealed how it can be beneficial for the pay of stars.

Williams said, “Last year even though, there was prize money first of all it was announced really late, and then the whole challenge cup was played before the season, so everybody kind of felt like it was this pre-season tournament and then you have the money on the line. So, I definitely think there is a different feel I’m interested to see how teams rotate or handle this because we are going to have three games in a week.”

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Williams continued, “It’s a lot of money. It’s a lot to play for. I don’t know if this is the perfect setup, either. I think we have to try it and see how it goes.” She would also go on to talk about the need for various cups and tournaments. The NWSL champion gave the example of Europe and tournaments like the FA Cup, Europa, and Champions League.

The Challengers Cup has kicked off and will see matches throughout the season. The season will see a major halt in the upcoming months as players will leave for national duty. Be that as it may, there’s no doubt that USWNT will be looking to create history.

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