Female soccer player called 'racist' and 'transphobic' after call for gender testing

The National Women's Soccer League has entered crisis mode at the end of its season.

With the playoffs set to start, a recent opinion article sent shockwaves through the league because it mentions one simple issue: that men should not play in women's sports.

'That article does not speak for this team in this locker room.'

Elizabeth Eddy, a 34-year-old who plays for Angel City FC in Los Angeles, penned an article for the New York Post recently asking for the league to adopt gender testing in order to maintain an even playing field.

Eddy suggested one-time genetic testing through either blood sample or cheek swab, which would be kept confidential to protect player privacy.

The American's level-headed essay even included the idea of "creating pathways for athletes traditionally excluded from competing at the highest level" in order to demonstrate "inclusion."

Still, the vary notion of screening men out of the NWSL was met with heavy criticisms from Eddy's teammates.

Angel City captain Sarah Gorden and vice captain Angelina Anderson held a press conference a few days later to publicly condemn Eddy's comments, shockingly accusing her of racism and bigotry.

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Barbra Banda of Orlando Pride was removed from a Zambian roster over alleged elevated testosterone levels. Photo by Eakin Howard/NWSL via Getty Images

"That article does not speak for this team in this locker room," Gorden stated vehemently. The captain said her teammates were "hurt," "harmed," and "disgusted" by some of the things that Eddy wrote.

Gorden went on to claim that Eddy's essay had "undertones that come across as transphobic and racist as well," but fell short of providing any quotes or specific details that fit her description.

However, Gorden did specify that she found it "inherently racist" for the article to feature a photo of Orlando Pride player Barbra Banda, claiming that it was likely because Banda looks different or is different.

However, Banda has been surrounded by controversy for years since being pulled from the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

As previously reported by Blaze News, Banda — along with teammate Racheal Kundananji — both allegedly had tested positive for impermissibly high levels of testosterone. An investigative report by the Telegraph stated that the players were removed from the Zambian women's team because they did not want to take hormone suppressants, citing possible side effects.

Zambian officials told the outlet that Banda had abnormally high testosterone levels, and so did at least two other players, including Kundananji.

Banda has been praised through the controversy and was even named the BBC's female footballer of the year in 2024. The award drew mass criticism, including from beloved writer J.K. Rowling, who called the award "more time efficient than going door to door to spit directly in women's faces."

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Gorden added during the recent press conference that since she is a "mixed woman" with a black family, she was "devastated by the undertones" of Eddy's article.

Anderson further cemented the team's position and reinforced that Angel City was "founded upon inclusivity and love" for all.

The NWSL itself supported Banda's recent selection to the FIFPRO World XI, which names the best female players in the world, annually.

The league said Banda is an "extraordinary talent" and that any "harassment or hateful attacks" have no place in the sport or its "communities."

Kundananji was transferred to NWSL team Bay FC (San Francisco) in 2024. Banda missed a chunk of the 2025 season with a hip abductor injury.

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