01/22/26 05:40:00
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01/22 17:38 CST Forward Trinity Rodman agrees to new 3-year deal with the
Washington Spirit of the NWSL
Forward Trinity Rodman agrees to new 3-year deal with the Washington Spirit of
the NWSL
By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Soccer Writer
Forward Trinity Rodman has agreed to a 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.
"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 on 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 multi-year 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 National Women's Soccer League 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 like 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 currently with the national team in their annual January training
camp in Carson, California. 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.
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