As the NWSL celebrates Mother's Day, players like Claire Emslie and Mallory Swanson are navigating the balance between returning to the pitch and embracing motherhood
By Sandra Herrera May 9, 2026 at 3:29 pm ET • 5 min read 
Getty Images The National Women's Soccer League is recognizing Mother's Day this weekend and celebrating several new moms across the league. Mother's Day 2026 will feature kids as young as a few months old to preschoolers and preteens. It'll also see mothers in the NWSL community, athletes on the pitch in action and off the field, managing maternity leave.
U.S. women's national team stars Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson welcomed new additions to the family in 2025, and both players managed maternity leave between pro duties for both club and country. Wilson recently featured in her first USWNT camp in over a year and is playing regularly with her club, Portland Thorns. Swanson and Chicago Stars FC recently celebrated her return to full-contact training this month.
Angel City FC is one of many clubs across the league that has moms across the roster and staff. Working her way back into play is Angel City forward and Scotland international Claire Emslie. Whether it's back in a starting lineup, off the bench, or working back from maternity leave, moms in NWSL are doing it all, and rightfully celebrating their stories this Mother's Day.
"It's funny, I feel like we had Scotland's, like the UK's Mother's Day, a while ago, and like the club kind of celebrated that for me, which was nice. It didn't really feel real, like I still catch myself like, 'oh, man, I'm actually a mum.' Like, this is crazy. But me and my husband are just so happy with him. And, it's kind of a nice thing to reflect on and be like, this is my first year as a mum, and I'm so excited I get to be a mom the rest of my life," Emslie told CBS Sports Attacking Third.
Emslie and her husband welcomed their baby boy, Jamie, in December. The forward was recently moved to the club's active roster for the first time this season since being listed on maternity leave. During the early phases of the pregnancy, she looked for other pro athlete moms and how they managed training while pregnant, often seeking advice and absorbing as much of it as she could, alongside support from Angel City's trainers and medical staff.
She was also reminded of how special and unique the women's pro sports community is, as staff from other clubs and sports reached out to offer help and collaborate on return-to-play plans. She looked towards USWNT players Crystal Dunn, Alex Morgan, and Sydney Leroux. Emslie and Leroux are Angel City teammates and shared co-honors as the club's top scorer in 2024.
While the journey back is different for everyone, Emslie is thankful that football is still there for her when she came back.
"I feel ready. I'm just appreciating the time I get on the pitch now, and it's so fun. Like, just back to basics. I get to kick a ball around the pitch and enjoy having a laugh with the teammates. You get so sucked into how serious it is and feeling all the pressure and scenarios and, yeah, it gets to a point sometimes you don't enjoy it, and I think now, football is also an escape from being a mum for a bit, like, being a mum's hard," Emslie said.
"If I can get four or five hours at the facility, training, being in the gym, being with my teammates, like, that is like my therapy. That is keeping my mental health good, being in here and still doing what I want to do. When I leave here, I'm back to being a mum, and because I've had that time away, I'm so excited to get back to him."
Emslie is one of several new moms this year to navigate pregnancy, labor, and return to play from maternity leave. Alongside Wilson and Swanson, Washington Spirit players Andi Sullivan, Casey Krueger, and Ashley Hatch have each welcomed a baby in the last year. Bay FC defenders Abby Dahlkemper, Emily Menges, and Caprice Dydasco each began the 2026 NWSL season on maternity leave.
The league is in its 14th year and is no stranger to active players who are parents. There have always been players who navigated being professional athletes and mothers. Though players in the league today have far more resources for navigating the waters of planning for a family than when it first began over a decade ago.
The first collective bargaining agreement was ratified in 2022 and offered primary formal benefits for players. Then, in 2024, the existing CBA was renegotiated in good faith and ratified with even further expanded parental and family protections.
Section 9.8 though 9.11 outline player salary guarantees, childcare and dependent care assistance programs, accommodations for nursing moms, and parental leave. The parental leave section is family inclusive, and qualifies "Any player who becomes a parent -- including, but not limited to, births, adoptions, or second parents a child."
As NWSL franchises continue to evolve and stay competitive, they include building facilities that are player-focused and inclusive of parent planning. Angel City's new club training site features rehabilitation areas, a private recovery room, private doctor's office and medical staff offices, and a children's playroom to support the families of players and staff.
The performance center also has an ultrasound machine on site, which Emlise used and captured the memory to share on social media.
"Before we scanned it for the first time, my physio Holly was like, 'look, if nothing shows up, don't panic because I just know how to do muscles.' so we were kind of prepared ...it's probably not gonna show up anything. So, we had all the girls round the bed, and as soon as she stuck the little thing on my belly, the baby popped up like clear as day," Emslie recounted.
“Everyone was just screaming.” 🥹💗 Ahead of Mother's Day, Claire Emslie shares the unforgettable moment her @weareangelcity teammates saw her baby during an ultrasound at the club’s training facility 💫 pic.twitter.com/rALeGWIYQZ
— W Golazo (@WGolazo) May 7, 2026
"It's probably the clearest image I've had out of all the ultrasounds I had. So, everyone was just screaming like 'oh my God', and then he moved. He moved straight away, and everyone, I was crying with laughter ... and the girls, it was just such a nice moment to spend with my teammates. It's something that you don't get to see much."
With more benefits, resources, and opportunities for players to plan their families in NWSL, the league and its players' association continue to lead the way for new and future moms.
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