Sophie Ingle played for Bristol and Liverpool before returning to Chelsea in 2018
Chelsea's Sophie Ingle says winning the Women's Super League is "bittersweet".
Chelsea were named WSL champions on a points-per-game ratio after the season was ended early due to coronavirus with the Blues trailing Manchester City by one point with a game in hand.
Chelsea are unbeaten since January 2019 and Ingle says they deserved the title.
"We have gone unbeaten, we drew two games and we beat the top teams, Arsenal and Man City, so I think we did deserve it in the end," she said.
It was decided on 25 May that the season would end with immediate effect, with 45 games outstanding in the WSL and 36 in the Championship.
The Football Association board reached a "majority decision" to decide final positions on a "basic points-per-game basis", with promotion and relegation "determined on sporting merit" and Ingle says Chelsea showed they were deserving in a campaign where Aston Villa were promoted and Liverpool relegated.
"It's a very strange time with what is going on and it is just a shame that we couldn't finish the season properly and play the games we had remaining," Ingle added.
"But I think we've worked hard enough and we've been unbeaten this season."
Ingle, who has friends who play for title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City, admits it is "awkward" to win the title without completing the season.
"I have friends at the other sides going for the title, I haven't spoken to them, it is probably hard for them as they wanted to continue the season and hopefully win the league, so it's a bit of an awkward situation really," she told BBC Sport Wales.
"It's a bittersweet moment really, we are happy to win the league but wanted to do it in the right way.
Chelsea's Sophie Ingle says winning the Women's Super League on points-per-game is "bittersweet" but deserved
"It is disappointing not to finish, everyone wanted to finish the season, but we knew there was a bigger picture and bigger things going on in the world. It would have been lovely to finish all the games and win it 'officially' by finishing all the games and being crowned champions in front of our fans.
"But unfortunately there are a lot more things going on now and I think it was the right decision in the end to finish the league and not continue it, because there were too many concerns from players, staff, everyone's welfare (is a concern) and the money side of it is a massive thing."
Ingle is hoping to qualify for the postponed women's European Championship, which will take place in 2022, with Wales set to play rescheduled qualifiers later this year.
The women's tournament has been moved back a year to avoid a clash with both the men's Euros and the Olympics, which were both pushed back to 2021.
Ingle, who is a contender to be selected for Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics, feels the delay was the right decision.
"It's a hard one, again it's out of our hands, but if the Olympics goes ahead then I think it is the right decision for the Euros to be pushed back because you can't do both," she said.
"It would be too much of a nightmare and not fair on the players. You can't expect players to play that amount of games in a short space of time at the end of the season.
"So I think it's only right and it will be good for women's football if we have the Olympics next year and then the following year the Euros."
