Albert available for USWNT despite social media activity - Kilgore - ESPN

United States women's national team interim manager Twila Kilgore said midfielder Korbin Albert, who is facing a backlash from fans and teammates over her social media activity, «is available» for the upcoming SheBelieves Cup.

Among Albert's social media activities that drew the ire of fans and teammates was the sharing of a video from a Christian sermon with someone expressing shame about being gay and «feeling transgender.» Purported screengrabs also surfaced showing Albert liking a post that appeared to celebrate Megan Rapinoe's Achilles injury in the 2023 NWSL championship in November, which was her final game before retirement.

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Speaking to reporters Friday ahead of Saturday's tournament opener against Japan in Atlanta, Kilgore began with a statement regarding Albert's actions, similar to that of midfielder Lindsey Horan and forward Alex Morgan earlier this week.

«It is disappointing when somebody falls short of the very high standards that we set within this team,» Kilgore said. «This team has always been a beacon of respect, inclusion and demonstrated great allyship through actions for underrepresented and marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ+ community. And we will continue to do so.

»As [Horan] and [Morgan] mentioned, this team has never shied away from hard conversations, and today we're here continuing to work on getting better, continuing to work on preparing ourselves to make ourselves proud, make our fans proud and put ourselves in the best position to continue to look towards success as we start this tournament."

When pressed further about the nature of those conversations, and whether any consideration had been given to removing Albert from the