NWSL star Trinity Rodman has gained massive commercial success in recent years. Between her team, the Washington Spirit, losing the NWSL championship the last two years in a row, and winning a championship in 2021, as well as Rodman being named a finalist for league MVP in 2024, Rodman has established herself was one of the best soccer players in the world. Unsurprisingly, she wants to get paid as such.
After the NWSL vetoed her contract extension with the Spirit, an extension that would’ve earned her $1 million per year, speculation started floating around that Rodman would leave the NWSL for a European league, just as players like Naomi Girma, Crystal Dunn, Alyssa Thompson and Emily Fox have done.
Now, the league is backtracking. According to ESPN, the NWSL’s Board of Governors is discussing a potential change in how rosters are constructed that would allow teams to pay star players significant salaries that would normally surpass the current salary cap.
What would this new rule entail?
The NWSL’s proposed roster ‘mechanism’ would enable each team to set aside a specified amount of money to pay star players, determined by certain statistical figures.
Nothing is set in stone regarding this mechanism. In fact, ESPN reports that other similar proposals have been brought to the board and discussed nearly daily with increased urgency as the year has progressed. The items still up for discussion reportedly include which players should qualify for the extra money, how much extra money can be set aside, and whether or not this will keep Rodman in the league. Her contract is set to expire at the end of December.
Why was Rodman’s initial contract vetoed?
Rodman’s initial contract, which would have set records within the NWSL, was vetoed due to commissioner Jessica Berman believing it would have violated league rules, most notably the salary cap. The NWSL Players’ Association promptly filed a grievance against the league.
The league’s grievance, filed on Dec. 3, claimed that the league had violated Rodman’s free agency rights and at least five sections of the current CBA.
Will Rodman play in Europe?
Rodman has long expressed a desire to play in Europe, even telling ESPN that it is not a matter of if, but ‘when.’ Rodman has reportedly received numerous offers from European clubs already, deals that would exceed what the NWSL could offer under current salary cap restrictions. That said, it appears a new, appropriate deal from the Washington Spirit could keep Rodman in the United States for now.
The league’s current CBA does not define a maximum salary for any individual player. Furthermore, the current CBA says that the league salary cap will increase every year through 2030, which could make paying Rodman more feasible for several teams. Obviously, that is still several years away though.