The U.S. women’s national team will continue to celebrate its historic collective bargaining agreement, which closed the pay gap with the the men’s national team, with a Players’ Ball set to be hosted by the USWNT Players Association on Monday in New York City.
Much has been made of the landmark equal pay deal, announced in May, which already has started to alter the landscape of women’s sports. The CBA was years in the making, with both the men’s and women’s teams seeing increased revenue from tickets, broadcast deals, partnerships and sponsorships.
“We hope that this agreement and its historic achievements in not only providing for equal pay but also in improving the training and playing environment for National Team players will similarly serve as the foundation for continued growth of women’s soccer both in the United States and abroad,” USWNTPA president Becky Sauerbrunn said in the CBA release.
The full CBA was published Monday ahead of the Players’ Ball event, which will feature some of the biggest names in USWNT history, including: Crystal Dunn, Julie Foudy, Rose Lavelle, Alex Morgan, Christen Press, Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn and Abby Wambach.
Up-and-coming stars such as Mallory Pugh and Trinity Rodman will also be in attendance.
The equality guaranteed by the new CBA encompasses but also goes beyond players’ paychecks. Highlights of the deal include: