Reuters
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The Washington Spirit re-signed star forward Trinity Rodman to a record three-year contract on Thursday, with an annual salary of over $2 million, according to her agent.
Rodman, a member of the US Women’s National Team (USWNT), becomes the highest-paid player in the history of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the highest-paid female player in the world, according to her agent Mike Senkowski of Upper 90 Sports Group, per ESPN.
Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí, a three-time Ballon d’Or winner, was reportedly previously the highest-paid women’s soccer player.
The contract, which extends through 2028, prevents potentially more lucrative offers from abroad, as the Spirit are constrained by the league’s salary cap – which was $3.5 million per team in 2025.
“I’ve made the DMV my home and the Spirit my family, and I knew this was where I wanted to enter the next chapter of my career,” Rodman said in a statement.
“I’m proud of what we’ve built since my rookie season, and I’m excited about where this club is headed. We’re chasing championships and raising the standard, and I can’t wait to keep doing that with my teammates and the best fans in the NWSL.”
Rodman’s previous four-year, $1.1 million contract with the Spirit expired December 31, making the 23-year-old forward a free agent.
The Spirit attempted to negotiate a lucrative contract extension and persuade her not to leave for Europe.
Commissioner Jessica Berman vetoed a backloaded four-year contract that reportedly would have paid Rodman more than $1 million per season, framing it as an attempt to circumvent the salary cap.
The NWSL Players Association filed a grievance in early December to oppose the rejection of the deal.
Earlier this month, the NWSLPA filed a separate grievance with the league to oppose the new “High Impact Player” rule, claiming it violates the collective bargaining agreement and federal labor law.
The HIP mechanism – dubbed the “Trinity Rodman rule” and announced in December – allows NWSL clubs to exceed the salary cap by up to $1 million to sign certain key players, as defined by a broad set of criteria that include a marketability threshold and nomination for major awards.
Portland Thorns forward Sophia Wilson became the first player to secure a seven-figure contract year in December when she exercised her player option worth $1 million for 2026, according to multiple reports.
In her five NWSL seasons, Rodman has scored 33 goals with 21 assists in 109 games (94 starts) across all competitions. She became the youngest player in league history to reach 50 career goal contributions.
Rodman scored five goals with two assists in 15 games (nine starts) this past season.
She won the NWSL league championship with Washington in 2021 and an Olympic gold medal in 2024.
The Spirit selected her second overall in the 2021 draft, making her at 18 the youngest player drafted to the league at the time. She was voted 2021 NWSL Rookie of the Year.
“Trinity is a generational player, but more importantly, she represents the future of this club and the future of women’s soccer,” Washington owner Michele Kang said in a statement on Thursday.
“This agreement reflects our belief that elite talent deserves elite commitment. At the Spirit, we are building something enduring: a club that competes for championships every year, invests in excellence and creates an environment where world-class players can thrive long-term.
“Trinity choosing to continue her career in Washington is a powerful statement about what we are building here.”
