It wasn't a "surprising loss" to some of us. I'm not even a lawyer, and I know that it's damn near impossible to win a lawsuit like this over compensation when you're being paid under the terms of a contract.
If the women's national soccer team thought they were getting treated unfairly, then they should have fired their union representatives who negotiated the collective bargaining agreement under which they played.
You are right but it’s even worse Than that. Their bargain gave them more assured money. Now that they have done well they want to get the benefit of the risk they were unwilling to take up front. I actually like women’s soccer but this was the right decision. I am actually shocked the Judge handed it down. In this age of activism I expected it to go the other way just because.