Megan Rapinoe said the judge 'missed the point' when he threw out the USWNT's equal pay lawsuit

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Megan Rapinoe said the judge 'missed the point' when he threw out the USWNT's equal pay lawsuit
Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan described feeling "shocked" by the decision, and Morgan assured fans that the USWNT "will definitely be appealing."AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino
  • USWNT stars Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan spoke about the dismissal of their team's highly-publicized equal pay lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation on GMA Monday morning.
  • In a decision announced Friday evening, the judge presiding over the USWNT's lawsuit dismissed the players' claims of unequal pay — and the $66 million in damages they sought along with it.
  • Both strikers described feeling "shocked" by the decision to throw out the case, and Rapinoe said she felt the judge "missed the point."
  • Morgan added that she and her teammates "really do believe in this case" and assured fans that they "will definitely be appealing and moving forward."
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Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan struck an indignant tone when addressing a judge's surprise decision to throw out the USWNT's equal pay lawsuit against US Soccer.

Megan Rapinoe said the judge 'missed the point' when he threw out the USWNT's equal pay lawsuit
Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe celebrate a goal during the 2019 World Cup.REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

But two of the most recognized faces on the reigning World Cup championship squad also appeared confident that they were on the right side of history in the highly-publicized and divisive battle for equitable compensation.

In a Monday morning appearance on Good Morning America, Rapinoe and Morgan discussed their reactions to learning of the judge's dismissal of the Equal Pay Act component of their suit Friday evening.

"I was very shocked with the ruling and the explanation that was given," Rapinoe said. "It, for me, missed the point but it was very disappointing, to be honest."

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Rapinoe went on to describe a hypothetical scenario to explain how she viewed the judge's interpretation of the case. If the USWNT players earn one dollar for every game they play while their male counterparts earn three dollars per game, she said, but the women's team plays more games and thus ultimately makes more money than the men, "I'm not sure how that's me making more money while having to essentially win everything that we could possibly have won over these last few years."

Megan Rapinoe said the judge 'missed the point' when he threw out the USWNT's equal pay lawsuit
Megan Rapinoe.Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

"Two World Cups and just about every game we played," she added, clearly incredulous.

Robin Roberts, who conducted the interview for GMA, pointed out that another, smaller aspect of the USWNT's complaint is still in play despite the national team's huge setback Friday evening. In addition to their chief grievance of unequal pay, the women also claimed to have received inferior travel accommodations and medical support services compared to their male counterparts.

And while Morgan stated that she and her teammates are "fighting for all of it," she insisted that they won't give up their battle for equal pay.

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Megan Rapinoe said the judge 'missed the point' when he threw out the USWNT's equal pay lawsuit
Alex Morgan embraces her teammates during the 2019 World Cup in France.AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino

"We really do believe in this case and, like Megan said, we were just shocked," Morgan said. "This decision was out of left field for us. I think for both sides it was very unexpected, so we will definitely be appealing and moving forward."

"If anyone knows anything about the heart of this team, we are fighters, and we will continue to fight together for this," she added.

Check out their GMA appearance below:

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