The NWSLPA was formed in May 2017 under the leadership of
Yael Averbuch and represented by lawyer and former
WPS player
Meghann Burke. The NWSLPA officially unionized in November 2018. Until the end of the 2021 season, the NWSLPA membership excluded United States
federation players because those players were contracted with the
US Soccer Federation (USSF) for their play in the NWSL. In December 2021, the USSF and the union representing the
U.S. national team (USWNT) agreed to end the
NWSL federation players system, which means that USWNT players playing in the NWSL are now contracted directly to their NWSL teams and that those players will also be represented in their club employment by the NWSLPA. ==Leadership==