The National Women's Soccer League and NJ/NY Gotham FC are investigating "hateful language" directed from a fan toward Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda in her team's 2-0 victory over Gotham on Sunday.

"This behavior is unacceptable and has no place in our league or in our stadiums," Gotham FC, the Orlando Pride and the NWSL said in a coordinated joint statement.

Neither the clubs nor the league specified the nature of the language used.

Gotham said in a statement that "stadium security swiftly responded" to a reported incident during Sunday's game at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, the team's home venue. An individual was "directly addressed" and security "[monitored] the situation for the remainder of the match."

The NWSL and Gotham said they are working together to take additional action where appropriate under the league's Fan Code of Conduct.

Gotham has footage of the alleged incident that it is actively reviewing, and club representatives have been in contact with the fan who reported the incident, a club spokesperson confirmed to ESPN.

"We are committed to ensuring that our venues are safe and respectful environments for all -- especially for the athletes who represent the very best of our sport," the NWSL said in its statement.

"Barbra Banda is both an exceptional player and person, and the NWSL is immensely proud to support her as a member of our league."

Banda has previously faced online abuse.

She was the subject of anti-trans attacks in November in the days after she scored the winning goal in the 2024 NWSL Championship and was named BBC World Footballer of the Year. The online attacks gained traction through public figures with large online followings, including author J.K. Rowling.

The NWSL Players Association responded sharply at the time, with executive director Meghann Burke personally responding to Rowling and the "lowest form of discourse" from others on social media.

The online attacks largely stem from a 2022 incident in which Banda was ruled out of that year's Women's Africa Cup of Nations (which doubled as World Cup qualifying) in a confusing incident that left officials blaming each other. Zambia qualified for the 2023 World Cup, and Banda played at the tournament.

Banda also played at the past two Olympics -- and scored a hat trick in each edition of the tournament. Her hat trick against Australia in July made her the first woman to score three hat tricks in an Olympic career.

Banda joined Orlando last year and scored 13 goals in her debut NWSL season.

A statement from the NWSL players' union said: "The NWSL Players Association stands with the Orlando Pride and NJ/NY Gotham FC in condemning the hateful behavior directed at Barbra Banda during last night's match.

"There is no place for harassment or abuse in our sport, and we support efforts to address this incident swiftly and responsibly. Soccer is built on principles of fairness, inclusion, and respect for human dignity -- any form of hateful conduct undermines these values and has no place in our fandom.

"Barbra Banda is a generational talent, and we are fortunate to witness her compete at the highest level in the NWSL. She deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

"The NWSL Players Association remains unwavering in our commitment to a safe and respectful atmosphere for everyone involved in our game. We will work alongside the league and clubs to ensure accountability and to protect the dignity of every player."