Elizabeth Eddy

“But you almost like slowly keep compromising your beliefs the longer you’re in the system,”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy said an athlete can have reasons to remain quiet even without formal punishment.

“And then eventually that speaking over and over again, the group starts just going that way in the sense of like no one else is speaking,”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy said Rapinoe's repeated speaking eventually moved the group toward her positions while others stayed quiet.

“There was a lot of times where that was like the situation where you either wear it, you wear a sweatshirt over it, or you just flat out say, ‘I’m not wearing this,’”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy described the choice players faced between wearing a shirt, covering it, or refusing.

“I mean, she's been a very outspoken person, her whole career,”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy said Megan Rapinoe had been outspoken throughout her career.

“I love sports. I love soccer,”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy described her love of sports and soccer in the context of her 11-year professional career.

“And then the repercussions of saying you’re not going to wear it on different teams in different political or social causes have different, I would say, responses and none of them are great.”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy said repercussions for refusing to wear a message varied by team and none were positive.

“There was like no room to voice a different opinion,”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy said the expectation to present a united front left little space to question a cause.

“I think there would be like significant consequences. I don’t know what those would be,”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy said she believed an active player taking her position could face significant professional consequences.

“Most girls, I don’t really think believe in a lot of the stuff that they’re getting told to wear, and then like publicly parade around like they’re supporters of it,”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy said she did not think most players genuinely believed in the messages they were told to wear.

“not surprised at all.”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy told OutKick she was disheartened by the confrontation at a Portland Thorns game but not surprised.

“It’s uncomfortable and it’s hard and it’s messy, but I think it’s the right thing to do,”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy said disagreement should lead to conversation rather than exclusion.

“I will consider that,”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Asked whether she would attend a game and join demonstrators, Eddy stopped short of committing.

“Hey, everyone wear the shirt, be a good teammate, be a good ally,”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy recalled how supporting a cause was framed as a test of being a good teammate.

“And to have an 11-year career playing professionally and then to come to realize like, wow, this thing I’ve given a lot of my life to really turned in on itself.”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy reflected on her career and her sense that the sport she devoted herself to had turned in on itself.

“I was really, really disheartened,”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy reacted to the Oct. 23 confrontation at Portland's Providence Park where supporters of female-only sports were removed.

“I respect a person who's going to speak their mind.”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy expressed respect for Rapinoe's willingness to speak her mind.

“I don’t remember if it was ever mandated or not,”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy acknowledged uncertainty about whether wearing shirts supporting transgender people was required.

“So I’d probably wear a sweatshirt over it and not deal with it,”

Elizabeth Eddy · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-27

Eddy described a possible workaround if she had been required to wear a shirt she disagreed with.