The Real Reason NWSL Players Are Walking Out in “We Said Now” Shirts

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We love seeing women win. On Aug. 25, players from the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) walked out in matching white T-shirts reading “We Said Now” in bright pink script. Although clearly presenting as a united front, the message of the shirts may be lost upon those who aren’t up-to-date with recent developments in the NWSL. For context, on July 11, the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) — a labor union advocating for players’ rights — announced they had officially negotiated “a groundbreaking new CBA” with the NWSL.

A CBA, otherwise known as a Collective Bargaining Agreement, basically establishes the conditions of employment for all players in the league. While the first CBA for domestic women’s professional soccer in the US was created in 2022, the NWSLPA has since been advocating for things like fair pay, free agency for all, and the elimination of trades without player consent (which have caused frustration in the past). Negotiations lasted from September 2023 to July 2024, but NWSL players have finally secured many of the major advances they’ve wanted for years. According to the NWSLPA, the new CBA also abolishes the draft, institutes revenue sharing (which means more money), and makes it so that all players have guaranteed contracts.

Having received most everything they’ve been fighting for, the shirts worn by NWSL players point to the power and overall growth in women’s sports. The shirts are less of an active demand and more of a celebration, showing that change is possible. “Pay is great and everything, and I think that’s really important, but I would say one of my favorite things is not being able to be blindside traded,” Washington Spirit player Trinity Rodman told the New York Times, wearing a “We Said Now” jacket to a post-game press conference. “People have families and children and you’re having to move your entire life on a day’s notice. I think that’s scary and crazy and I don’t feel like anyone should have to do that.”

On Aug. 25, Liz Shuler, president of the he American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) congratulated the players from the Washington Spirit and KC Current (the first teams to play since the new CBA was announced) on such a historic accomplishment. “By ending the draft, they’ve won the right to shape their own futures—a victory for all workers,” Shuler wrote on X. “This is the power of unity! #wesaidnow.”

Get in on the celebration by shopping a “We Said Now” shirt ($45) of your own, and stay tuned as women’s sports continues to make history.

Chandler Plante is an assistant editor for PS Health & Fitness. Previously, she worked as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributed to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group. In her free time, she overshares on the internet, creating content about chronic illness, beauty, and disability.