National Women's Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA)

What National Women's Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) does

The National Women's Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) is the labor union and exclusive collective bargaining representative for all professional women's soccer players in the U.S. National Women's Soccer League. Founded in May 2017 through a card check drive led by Yael Averbuch and voluntarily recognized by the NWSL that same month, NWSLPA negotiated its first CBA in 2022 and a groundbreaking second CBA in 2024 (effective through 2030) that abolished the draft, established free agency for all players, ended trades without consent, and introduced revenue sharing tied to league growth. The union is governed democratically by an elected Executive Committee (President Haley Hopkins, Vice Presidents Dani Weatherholt and Madison Hammond, Secretary Maggie Graham, Treasurer Emily Menges) and Player Representatives from each NWSL team, and is operationally led by Executive Director Meghann Burke with a staff of approximately 12 based in Asheville, North Carolina.

NWSLPA's products and services are member-facing rather than commercial: a Player Portal, an Agent Portal, the publicly available Collective Bargaining Agreement, a National Emergency Trust (NET) 501(c)(3) charitable program for emergency financial and mental health assistance to current and former players, and an Official Merchandise Marketplace of approximately 12 licensees including Nike, EA Sports, Charlie Hustle, and Matchday. Distribution is direct to members and agents via these portals and to the public through Instagram, X, the official website, press releases, and events such as the Players Party and NWSL Championship weekend.

NWSLPA does not generate commercial revenue in a traditional sense; its funding comes from CBA-negotiated member dues, sponsorship agreements (anchored by Ally Financial as the official retail banking partner through 2027, plus MasterCard and OneTeam Partners), and licensing income managed through OneTeam Partners. The union is an AFL-CIO affiliate and partners strategically with the USWNTPA, MLSPA, and other labor organizations on player rights and pay-equity initiatives. Recent strategic emphasis is on commercialization and welfare: a $5 million Player Restitution Fund was established through a 2024 settlement with state Attorneys General, a Deputy Executive Director (Tori Huster) was appointed in January 2025, and a Director of Commercial Affairs (Maura Everett) was hired in September 2025 to expand sponsorship and licensing revenue.

Name

National Women's Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA)

Legal name

National Women's Soccer League Players Association

Website

https://nwslplayers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The NWSLPA is the exclusive collective bargaining labor union for all National Women's Soccer League players, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Asheville, NC. It negotiates CBAs governing player compensation, free agency, health, and safety, and operates member portals, charitable programs, and a licensing marketplace funded by dues and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Athletes Labor Union Services

NAICS

Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations (81393), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

Keywords

• Labor union representation
• Collective bargaining agreement
• Professional athlete advocacy
• Player welfare services
• Professional sports union

Headquarters

HQ city

Asheville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The NWSLPA is the labor union and exclusive collective bargaining representative for all professional soccer players in the National Women's Soccer League. It negotiates and enforces Collective Bargaining Agreements covering player compensation, free agency, working conditions, health and safety, mental health, family-building benefits, revenue sharing, and data/appearance rights. It also operates member resource portals for players and agents and runs charitable programs such as the National Emergency Trust.

Product overview

The NWSLPA is a labor union serving as the exclusive bargaining representative of all NWSL players, offering a suite of member-focused services including a Player Portal for players to access resources, an Agent Portal for player representatives, and the official 2024-2030 Collective Bargaining Agreement. The union also operates charitable programs including the National Emergency Trust (NET) providing mental health support and emergency financial assistance to players. The Support the Players initiative enables fan donations, while an official merchandise licensing program through partners like Nike and EA Sports generates revenue for the organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Support the Players National Emergency Trust (NET): An independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization created by NWSLPA to provide charitable assistance to current and former professional women soccer players with unexpected financial hardships and to remove cost as a barrier to accessing mental health services.

Products and services

• Player Portal A secure online resource portal that provides NWSL players with access to exclusive content, forms, CBA documentation, and union-related materials as part of membership services.
• Agent Portal A dedicated online portal for player agents to manage player contract negotiations, regulatory compliance, and CBA-related matters on behalf of NWSL clients.
• Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) 2024-2030 The official collective bargaining agreement governing player rights, compensation, free agency, working conditions, and league policies for NWSL players from 2024 through 2030, eliminating the draft and establishing free agency for all players.
• National Emergency Trust (NET) An independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides emergency financial assistance to current and former professional women soccer players facing unexpected hardships and removes cost barriers to accessing mental health services.
• Support the Players A public fundraising and donation initiative that enables fans and supporters to contribute to NWSLPA charitable activities and player welfare programs, including the National Emergency Trust.
• Official Merchandise Licensing Program Official licensee marketplace featuring NWSLPA-branded merchandise through licensed partners including Nike, EA Sports, Charlie Hustle, 500 Level, American Roots, For Bare Feet, and others, generating group licensing revenue for the union.

Quantifiable outcome

• First-ever CBA in domestic women's professional soccer (2022)
• +4 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship/primary, core and minor.

• Ally Financialflagship/primaryGTM or Marketing PartnerAlly Financial is the official retail banking partner of NWSLPA. First official partner (brought on in February 2022), with multi-year sponsorship extension through 2027. Ally was the first-ever sponsor of NWSLPA as an act of solidarity during a critical time for players. Partnership includes the Ally Award program allowing players to vote for a teammate who embodies the spirit of the consummate teammate.
• OneTeam PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsorship and licensing partner of NWSLPA. Entered agreement in August/October 2021 to serve as NWSLPA's agent to launch group licensing program. Facilitated the Ally Financial partnership extension through 2027.
• MasterCardcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFirst sponsorship agreement entered in October 2021 alongside Ally Bank. MasterCard serves as official sponsor of NWSLPA.
• MLSPA (Major League Soccer Players Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization - fellow professional soccer players union. NWSLPA is a proud affiliate of AFL-CIO, working in partnership with USWNTPA and other player associations.
• AFSCMEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner/labor union affiliate. NWSLPA operates under AFL-CIO umbrella alongside AFSCME and other affiliated unions.
• AFL-CIOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary labor federation affiliation. NWSLPA is a proud affiliate of AFL-CIO, providing institutional support and solidarity with the broader American labor movement.
• USWNTPA (U.S. Women's National Team Players Association)flagship/primaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose partnership on player rights and pushing for equality. NWSLPA and USWNTPA work together on national and global player rights initiatives. USWNTPA achieved equal pay in its CBA, setting global standard that influenced NWSLPA negotiations.
• Weil, Gotshal & MangescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal counsel representing NWSL in joint investigation. Partnered with Covington & Burling on joint investigative team examining misconduct in the league from 2013-2022.
• LIUNA (Laborers' International Union of North America)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor union affiliate within AFL-CIO network. Provides solidarity and support for workers' rights advocacy.
• Official LeagueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLimited-edition Pride hat partnership launched in 2025 Pride campaign. Proceeds benefit Athlete Ally, a national nonprofit working to advance LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sports.
• Athlete AllyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit beneficiary of 2025 Pride campaign. NWSLPA partnered with Official League and Parkside Collectibles to raise funds supporting Athlete Ally's mission to make sports more equitable for LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nwsl_players
• Instagraminstagram.com/nwsl_players?igshid=NTdlMDg3MTY=
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-women-s-soccer-league-players-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Women's Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA)