The US women's national soccer team (USWNT) might not participate in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, due to a dispute between the players and the US Soccer Federation (USSF) over pay.

Several USWNT stars filed a complaint for equal pay in March, and ESPN Legal affairs writer Lester Munson said that "if the dispute continues, then there is a probability that the greatest women's soccer team in the world will not be participating in the Olympics."

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Earlier this week the US Senate offered its full support to the USWNT, unanimously passing a resolution pressuring the USSF to raise wages for its female athletes.

However, the resolution is non-binding, and the players are looking to go on strike if their demands are not met. On Thursday, players' union and USSF lawyers argued their cases regarding a potential strike before a judge in Chicago.

The USSF said players agreed not to strike in 2013 negotiations, but the players' union countered that the agreement is not in writing and is therefore invalid.

The players who initiated the dispute - Carli Lloyd, Becky Sauerbrunn, Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, and Megan Rapinoe - claimed they are making 40% less money than the US men's team earns.

In 2015 the USWNT far outperformed its financial expectations, earning just over RMB 38 million (USD 5.8 million) more than the men's team and providing impetus for the current dispute.

Some argue that the players' claims are an oversimplification of a complex financial situation.

Beau Dure of The Guardian pointed out that the "US men face greater competition to make the roster and greater competition to win games, and they draw higher ratings, higher attendance, and more revenue over a four-year cycle."

Dure also noted that the women receive a base salary, while the bulk of the men's pay comes via performance bonuses.

Co-founder of Vice Gavin McInnes wrote in an article for Taki's Magazine that the international situation also factors into the women's pay.

McInnes offered the UK as an example, writing that Manchester City's average attendance is 50,000, "while the women's [Manchester United] is lucky to get 2K."

Whether or not the situation is simple or complicated, one fact remains: time is running out to get the USWNT to Rio de Janeiro on August 5 for the start of the Olympics. 

TagsUS women's national soccer team, USWNT, 2016 Olympics, Rio Olympics, Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo, Manchester United, Manchester City, USSF