SEATTLE — Megan Rapinoe said she knew it was coming.
And yet she couldn't help but expressing her happiness Friday, just days after an equal pay agreement was reached.
"I don't think you can overstate how huge this is, not just for us, but hopefully setting a new tone going forward," said Rapinoe, the OL Reign star forward.
Friday marked Rapinoe's first public comments since the new collective bargaining agreement was announced—an agreement between the U.S. Soccer Federation and the men's and women's Players' Association that, most notably, eliminates the pay gap in which women made less.
Rapinoe, who has been at the forefront of the fight, called it a "monumental" and "massive" turning point.
"I think all of us realized very quickly that this would be the last CBA that we would probably be involved in and be able to participate in," Rapinoe said. "This is some really cool legacy stuff for our group of players who on the field and off I think has been as successful as any group of players ever."
The legal fight has spanned almost six years, starting with a claim of wage discrimination filed with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2016.
Rapinoe was quick to point out, however, the groundwork was being laid far earlier. She credited the trailblazers of the 1990s for enduring low salaries and a lack of investment, despite on-the-field results that often outpaced the men's national team.
"Our inability and unwillingness to quit or take less or be quiet about the inequities that we faced comes from them," Rapinoe said.
While Rapinoe, 36, may only benefit from the new CBA for a few more years, she said the long-term impact of the agreement is what excites her the most.
"I think for kids growing up now they see that at least in writing it codifies that it's going to be the standard moving forward," Rapinoe said. "Obviously, I think it is going to be much more impactful for women in the short term. I say it all the time, I hope these little kids are richer than I am, and they certainly will be."