NC Courage defender Jaelene Daniels refuses to play in Pride jersey

North Carolina Courage defender Jaelene Daniels will miss her team's National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) match against the Washington Spirit on Friday after refusing to wear a Pride jersey, the Courage have confirmed.

Daniels previously refused a U.S. women's national team call-up in 2017 over rainbow-themed gay pride jerseys.

Friday's game is taking place as part of the Courage's Pride Night celebrations and also features a pregame Pride festival in partnership with Harmony: NC LGBT+ Allied Chamber of Commerce and the LGBT Center of Raleigh.

«Jaelene will not be rostered tonight as she has made the decision to not wear our Pride jersey,» a Courage spokeswoman said in a statement to media ahead of the game.

«While we're disappointed with her choice, we respect her right to make that decision for herself. We're excited to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community with our fans, players and staff tonight and look forward to hosting our first ever Pride Festival before kickoff.»

The Courage faced criticism from supporters last December when they re-signed Daniels, who retired last year after playing seven seasons in the NWSL.

«In response to the recent news of re-signing Jaelene Daniels, we as a club acknowledge the impact this announcement has on our community,» the North Carolina Courage said in an unsigned open letter to fans at the time. «We've spent the past few days reading your messages and reflecting on our actions. We are very sorry to all those we have hurt, especially those within the LGBTQIA+ community.

»The decision to re-sign Jaelene was not made lightly and included significant conversations between organization leadership and Jaelene. The priority expressed in those conversations is the safety of our players and