Forward Trinity Rodman has agreed to a record three-year contract to remain with the Washington Spirit, ending months of speculation about the Olympic gold medalist’s future in the National Women’s Soccer League.
ESPN reported that Rodman signed a multimillion-dollar deal making her the highest-paid player in league history at more than $1 million annually and the highest-paid female player in the world, according to her agent, Mike Senkowski, of Upper 90 Sports Group.
“I think I’ve always had a vision and an idea of what I wanted my legacy to be,” Rodman said at an event announcing her new deal Thursday in Los Angeles. “We’re doing that and I’m so grateful for that.”
The speculation over Rodman’s future with the Spirit spurred criticism of the NWSL salary cap and whether it hampered the league from attracting and maintaining top players.
Rodman, 23, became a free agent at the end of last season after five years with the Spirit. One of the biggest stars in the NWSL, keeping her in the league was considered vitally important as other U.S. national team stars, including Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson, opted to play in Europe.
Rodman, who won a gold medal with the United States at the Paris Olympics, has been drawn interest from European teams that don’t have a salary cap.
The Spirit and Rodman struck a multiyear deal that both parties maintained was in compliance with the salary cap, but it was rejected by the league because it went against the spirit of the rules.
The NWSL players association filed a grievance claiming that the NWSL’s rejection of the contract violated Rodman’s free-agency rights and violated the collective bargaining agreement.
To address the salary-cap issue, the NWSL in late December adopted a “high-impact player” mechanism that allowed teams to spend up to $1 million over the cap to sign players that meet certain criteria. Those included metrics like national team minutes, inclusion among the 30 candidates for the Ballon d’Or or player rankings by outlets such as the Guardian or ESPN.
The NWSLPA filed a grievance over the rule, claiming it violated the collective bargaining agreement and federal labor law because player compensation must be negotiated. The NWSLPA maintains the league had no authority to “unilaterally create a new pay structure.”
The NWSL’s salary cap is $3.5 million for each team for the 2026 season, although it will increase each year until it hits $5.1 million in 2030.
Rodman is with the national team in their annual January training camp in Carson, Calif. The team plays a match there against Paraguay on Saturday and then plays Chile on Tuesday in Santa Barbara.
Rodman has 47 appearances and 11 goals with the national team, more than any other player on the latest roster. She played in one U.S. match last year, a 2-0 victory over Brazil in April, because of injuries.
Tribune news services contributed.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/22/trinity-rodman-washington-spirit-contract-nwsl/
