For years, professional women's soccer players in the United States juggled two jobs out of necessity. Today, thanks to significant financial reforms in the league, many are choosing to pursue additional pursuits not because they must, but because they can.
Chicago Stars midfielder Bea Franklin recently spent a winter night working as a cocktail waitress at the Pioneer Saloon in Ketchum, Idaho, balancing drinks in cowgirl boots beneath the gaze of taxidermied wildlife. For the 25-year-old, now in her third professional season, the job wasn't about survival but about finding a mental break from the sport. "It was just so much fun, and a really great way to kind of disconnect from soccer," Franklin said.
The situation looked very different five years ago. In 2021, NWSL players launched the "No More Side Hustles" campaign to draw attention to inadequate wages that forced many to work second jobs alongside their athletic careers. At the time, a third of NWSL Players Association members earned the league minimum of $22,000, while three-quarters made $31,000 or less. World Cup winner Jessica McDonald packed boxes at Amazon for ten-hour shifts while coaching young players at night. Three-time champion Kristen Hamilton drove for DoorDash. Others cleaned houses or worked as receptionists just to make ends meet.
That reality has shifted dramatically since the league's first collective bargaining agreement in 2022 and subsequent deal in 2024, which set the 2026 minimum salary at $50,500 — nearly matching the league's maximum salary from 2021. With financial stability now in place, players are increasingly using their free time for education, business ventures, and personal growth.
Washington Spirit defender Gabrielle Carle is preparing for a future in medicine. During the Spirit's run to the NWSL final last season, the 27-year-old Canadian studied for the MCAT, which she took in January after achieving her target score. "I was like, 'Oh, this is gonna be complicated,'" Carle said of initially trying to balance both pursuits. She now plans to use her three-year application window strategically. "I'm going to be 30 years old. I can decide if that's a good time for me to retire or if I want to keep going. But if I do decide to move on with my career and retire from soccer, then I have that score and I can immediately move on to the next part of my life," she explained.
Other players have pursued advanced degrees, including Carle's teammate Lucia Di Guglielmo, who holds a master's in industrial chemistry. The NWSL has also partnered with Syracuse University this year to offer players online degrees in fields such as sports analytics, cybersecurity, and business management. Franklin, a finance graduate from the University of Arkansas, worked as a wealth management analyst at Bank of America during the offseason, gaining practical experience she believes will benefit her long-term.
Entrepreneurship has also flourished among players. Chicago forward Jordyn Huitema launched skincare brand Jordyskin this summer, while Denver Summit defender Janine Sonis introduced 90Brew, a specialty coffee company, amid a standout season in which she scored nine goals for the expansion club.
Sonis said the venture stemmed from her personal relationship with coffee, which she initially began drinking to combat fatigue early in her career. Encouraged by her husband, who runs his own athletic training business, she spent 18 months developing the brand before launching sales this month. She noted the surprising coincidence that both her team and her coffee company share similar green branding, calling it validating.
Having played in the league for a decade, Sonis reflected on how far player compensation has come. "Even really not that far in the past, which is crazy that people had to have two jobs and their NWSL salaries weren't supporting them enough not to have to do something else," she said. "And now here I am being able to support myself in multiple ventures because of the direction that the game has moved in."
Based on reporting from The Guardian.