PNW’s new women’s soccer coach is happy the U.S. Soccer Federation has agreed to pay the U.S. Women’s National Team $24 million to settle an equal-pay lawsuit.

But she says women still have a long way to go to achieve full equity.

“The settlement was a win, for sure,” said Mary Whisler, who was named head coach in January. “But they were originally asking for somewhere between $60 and $70 million in back pay, and eventually settled at $24 million.

“A little bit is better than nothing, but the fact that this was even a fight at all is the real problem,” she said.

U.S. Soccer agreed to the settlement on Feb. 22, ending a six-year legal battle to achieve pay equity. Of the settlement, $22 million will be distributed among the players who are part of the class action lawsuit. The rest will be used for charitable efforts and other activities.

But what may be more significant than the money is the fact that U.S. Soccer committed to provide “an equal rate of pay going forward for the women’s and men’s nation teams in all friendlies and tournaments, including the world cup,” according to a news release shared by both sides.

The journey to this settlement had plenty of bumps in the road. It took years before a court would permit the suit to be filed, and in 2020 a judge dismissed it. The women appealed and the settlement was reached before the appeal was heard.

As a female coach and an openly gay woman, Whisler understands how challenging the battle must have been for the Women’s National Team.

“I have been coaching for about 13 years and there have definitely been ups and downs,” she said. “Some people just want to hire women to say they hired women, and some sincerely respect a woman’s ability to do the job.”

But there has been broad excitement over the settlement. Even President Joseph Biden showed his support, tweeting “This is a long overdue victory in the fight for equal pay. I’m proud of the @USWNT for never giving up – on and off the field… Now, let’s close the gap in every industry.”

Whisler said she thinks it’s time.