The National Women’s Soccer League, its players union and the Orlando Pride and Gotham FC have denounced reports of “hateful language” directed at Pride forward Barbra Banda.

Chicago Stars forward Mallory Swanson will miss the team’s National Women’s Soccer League season opener on Friday night against the Orlando Pride for personal reasons.

Carson Pickett, a Fleming Island native and professional soccer standout for the Orlando Pride, received a proclamation in her honor during the Clay County Board of County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday night. The proclamation recognized Pickett for her extraordinary success in soccer, her advocacy for limb difference awareness, and her ability to inspire young athletes across the United States.

Barbra Banda scored in the 37th minute and the Orlando Pride beat the Washington Spirit 1-0 to win their first National Women’s Soccer League championship.

The National Women’s Soccer League and its players have reached a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement that eliminates the draft, guarantees all contracts, provides for parental leave and childcare benefits and promises more money to players.

(AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)Players for the Portland Thorns and the North Carolina Courage knelt during the national anthem Saturday when the National Women's Soccer League opened the Challenge Cup tournament in Utah. In addition to the anthem, the players knelt for a moment of silence before kickoff. The league said Friday that it would play the national anthem before the Challenge Cup games and that it would support the players in whatever they chose to do. The monthlong Challenge Cup opened Saturday with a pair of games at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah. Megan Rapinoe, who plays for OL Reign but opted out of the Challenge Cup, was criticized when she knelt at a NWSL game and a pair of national team games in 2016.

The Orlando Pride have withdrawn from the upcoming National Women's Soccer League tournament after six players and four staff members tested positive for COVID-19. The NWSL is the first professional team sport to return amid the coronavirus outbreak. Another round of testing will take place to confirm the results, the league said in announcing the positive tests on Monday. Because of the number of positive results and the short time before the start of the tournament, the Pride withdrew. The names of the players and staffers who tested positive were not released.

Orlando Pride womens soccer player Carson Pickett giving little fan Joseph Tidd a fist-bump during a June match in Orlando. WATCH: The bond between Carson Pickett and Joseph TiddThe original photo, taken by Tidd's mother, Colleen, was tweeted out by University of Florida womens soccer coach Becky Burleigh on July 20. It soon went viral. Since that heartwarming picture, both Pickett and Tidd family have connected and their bond has continued to grow. She was the Gatorade state player of the year, as well as Floridas Miss Soccer as a senior.

A 21-month-old tot shared a unique fist bump with professional soccer player Carson Pickett. Neither little Joseph Tidd, from Florida, nor the Orlando Pride soccer player, were born with left forearms, and they embraced the limb difference in a sweet photo that has since gone viral. They instantly had this bond.She explained they met the soccer player for the first time in April, and the pair have been sharing fist bumps since. His mom said they found out that their first boy would have a limb difference at her first ultrasound. We know the world can be cruel, but we also know the world can be very peaceful and joyful, Tidd said.