Photo Copyright Jessica Alcheh for USA TODAY Sports
Inside the Challenge Cup “bubble” of 2020, something bigger than soccer was happening off the pitch in the National Women’s Soccer League. Between practices and games, Black players were having conversations with their teammates, trying to find the right words to explain why they were kneeling during the national anthem, why they were using their social media platforms to call for change, and the difficult realities of being Black in the NWSL — all on their own.
“In 2020 when we were protesting for Black Lives Matter, it was hard with some of the players, especially for those in the Black Women’s Player Collective who were the only Black players on their teams, to feel like they had a voice or were being listened to by their club and teammates,” Mandy Freeman told The Equalizer.
These hard but necessary conversations spurred important change in the NWSL, but what became clear is that the players faced a significant burden in trying to educate their…
