USWNT Midfielder Sam Coffey Says Team Has 'Responsibility' to Speak Out on Social Issues

Coffey acknowledges the team is still figuring out what that looks like for the current generation compared to past players.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

U.S. women's national team midfielder Sam Coffey said she and her teammates have a responsibility to speak out about social justice issues, but they are still determining what that looks like for the current iteration of the team compared to past players like Becky Sauerbrunn, Megan Rapinoe, and Alex Morgan who were vocal advocates. Coffey noted the USWNT has a history of using its platform to be a "beacon of light" and advocate for the "voiceless", and she believes the current squad needs to be "better" at being vocal and standing up for various causes.

Why it matters

The USWNT has long been seen as a leader in using its platform to speak out on social issues, from the team's fight for equal pay to more recent protests against anti-transgender legislation in Texas. As the team transitions to a new generation of players, there is an expectation that they will continue this tradition of advocacy, though Coffey acknowledges they are still figuring out what that looks like for them.

The details

Coffey, 27, said while it was easier as a younger player to look up to veteran leaders like Sauerbrunn, Rapinoe and Morgan, "that responsibility is on us, and responsibility is the exact word. I think we have a duty to this team and a standard to uphold." She pointed to the USWNT's history of using its platform "as a tool and to be an advocate for the voiceless" and said the current squad needs "to be better in the ways that we're being vocal and standing up and speaking out about a myriad of topics."

  • On Feb. 22, 2022, six years after their initial complaint to the EEOC, the USWNT reached a $24 million settlement with U.S. Soccer.
  • One day later, the USWNT capped off its victorious 2022 SheBelieves Cup campaign in Frisco, Texas, by wearing 'Protect Trans Kids' wristbands along with their uniforms.

The players

Sam Coffey

A 27-year-old midfielder for the U.S. women's national team who recently transferred to Manchester City from the Portland Thorns.

Becky Sauerbrunn

A former USWNT player who was among the five players to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2016 over unequal pay and treatment between the U.S. men's and women's teams.

Megan Rapinoe

A former USWNT player who was also among the five players to file the 2016 EEOC complaint and who declared she would not visit the White House to celebrate the team's 2019 World Cup victory.

Alex Morgan

A former USWNT player who was also among the five players to file the 2016 EEOC complaint.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I think it's a really good question, and something I've been personally wrestling with a lot lately. And what does that look like for this iteration of this team?”

— Sam Coffey, USWNT Midfielder (The New York Times)

“I think we have a duty to this team and a standard to uphold.”

— Sam Coffey, USWNT Midfielder (The New York Times)

“We all have a voice, and they set such a standard for what this team means to people. It is so much more than a soccer team. We have always been this pillar of what it means to stand up and speak up for social justice issues, whatever that might be, most recently equal pay.”

— Sam Coffey, USWNT Midfielder (BBC)

What’s next

The U.S. faces Argentina on Sunday, followed by matches against Canada in Columbus, Ohio, on March 4, and Colombia in Harrison, N.J., on March 7 in the round-robin SheBelieves Cup tournament.

The takeaway

As the USWNT transitions to a new generation of players, there is an expectation that the team will continue its tradition of using its platform to advocate for social justice causes, though the current squad is still determining how best to do that in a way that feels authentic to them.