Ahead of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, when the NWSL was preparing to be the first American league to return to play via a tightly sequestered bubble environment in Utah, there were growing pleas for the league to reconsider the pre-game playing of the national anthem. The motivation was to protect the Black players in the league from being forced to participate in a nationalistic ritual with the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd weighing heavily on the hearts and consciousnesses of most Black people within America’s borders.
At the time the NWSL acknowledged this argument, but said they’d spoken with players and noted that some wanted the opportunity to protest during the anthem.