Trinity Rodman has re-signed with the Washington Spirit, ending a months-long saga that led the NWSL to adjust its salary cap rules in order to retain one of its biggest stars.
Financial details of the three-year contract weren’t released, but ESPN reports that the deal is worth more than $2 million annually, including bonuses, making Rodman the highest-paid athlete in NWSL history.
In a news release, the Spirit described the deal as “one of the most significant contracts in the NWSL and the women’s game worldwide.”
“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 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. “And for me, we’re doing that and I’m so grateful for that.”
Rodman is currently training with the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team in Carson. At age 18, she was selected No. 2 overall by Washington in the 2021 draft. Rodman went on to win the league’s rookie of the year award and record the game-winning assist in extra time during the NWSL championship game that season.
In 2024 and 2025, Rodman helped the Spirit return to the championship game.
“Getting drafted here and developing and maturing and learning — and failing — at the Spirit, in D.C., it’s become so much of my legacy and my story,” Rodman said. “But on top of that, I still feel like there’s so much more I have to give and so much more that I want to do.”
Rodman’s initial contract with Washington expired on Dec. 31, making her a free agent. A gold medal winner for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Rodman was rumored to be getting interest from European teams that don’t have the same salary restrictions.
“I can’t think of the Washington Spirit without her,” Spirit owner Michele Kang said at Thursday’s event in L.A. “And I hope she can’t think about her career without the Washington Spirit. So this is really monumental and it was really important, not only for the Spirit, especially for our fans who expect to see her. They come to Audi Field and that’s where Rowdy Audi clearly came out.”
Lakers legend Magic Johnson, a minority stakeholder in the Spirit, called Rodman’s re-signing a “big win for the entire National Women’s Soccer League!”
“Michele and the Spirit leadership spoke about the vision for the franchise, creating sustainable success, implementing innovation and being a standard bearer for women’s sports,” Johnson wrote on X following Thursday’s event. “Keeping Trinity as a Spirit player was a big step to fulfilling that vision. I want to congratulate the entire Spirit organization for getting the deal done! I know our incredible fan base is as excited as I am.”
Rodman and the Spirit had previously reached an agreement on a four-year, multimillion-dollar contract in early December. That deal was rejected by the NWSL as being against the spirit of the league’s salary cap, which is set at $3.5 million for each team for the 2026 season and will rise each year until hitting $5.1 million in 2030.
The NWSL Players Assn. filed a grievance against the league for nixing the contract agreement, alleging that the move violated the collective bargaining agreement.
Weeks later, the league adopted a “High Impact Player” rule allowing teams to spend up to $1 million over the salary cap for star players that meet certain criteria. The union also has filed a grievance over that rule, claiming that the league is not allowed to “unilaterally create a new pay structure.”
Spirit president of soccer operations Haley Carter says the “High Impact Player” rule figured into Rodman’s new contract and that neither NWSLPA grievance would alter the deal.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The post Trinity Rodman becomes NWSL’s highest-paid player after she re-signs with Washington Spirit appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
