My interpretation of the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) is grounded in a historically informed understanding of how struggles for equity in sport have unfolded over time. By analyzing the team through the dual lenses of gender equity and race, I show that the USWNT’s activism builds on decades of advocacy, exclusion, and systemic inequality that have shaped women’s access to sport in the U.S.

In examining gender equity, I connect the team’s modern-day demands - like the 2022 equal pay agreement - to the legacy of Title IX and earlier efforts to secure space for women in athletics. Rather than treating Title IX as a universally transformative policy, I explore its uneven effects, especially how it disproportionately benefited white, college-bound women while leaving behind many others. The USWNT’s fight for equal compensation, media visibility, and institutional respect is an extension of this longer struggle for meaningful inclusion within male-dominated sports structures.

Similarly, my focus on race highlights how the team’s history reflects broader patterns of exclusion faced by athletes of color. From the near-total whiteness of the 1999 World Cup squad to the present-day voices of Crystal Dunn and Midge Purce, I trace how access to elite soccer has long been shaped by race and class. These dynamics echo the experiences of earlier icons like Althea Gibson and Briana Scurry, whose accomplishments occurred despite systemic barriers.

While gender and race are my central categories of analysis, I also acknowledge how class and LGBTQ+ identity intersect with these histories. The pay-to-play youth system continues to restrict access for low-income athletes, and openly queer players like Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger have expanded the team’s advocacy into broader movements for social justice. My analysis shows the USWNT not only as champions but as a collective reshaping the fight for equality in sport.