Trinity Rodman isn’t a businesswoman—she’s a business, woman (or whatever Jay-Z said). And business is booming, okay?!
The 23-year-old forward just signed a three-year deal with the Washington Spirit worth over $2 million annually, making her the highest-paid women’s soccer player on the planet.
The deal is historic not just for the dollar amount (we can’t ignore that the dollar amount is looking real nice, though), but for what it represents: a seismic shift in how women’s soccer values its stars. Getting here, though, exposed tensions between the Spirit, the league’s salary cap system, and the players’ union.
Back in November, Commissioner Jessica Berman shut down Rodman’s initial contract with the Spirit, saying it violated “the spirit of the league.” The proposed deal was backloaded to work around the league’s $3.5 million salary cap, which would’ve eaten up nearly a third of the team’s entire roster budget. Instead of figuring out how to pay their biggest star what she’s worth, the league said no.
Rodman, like many Black women in her position, wasn’t backing down. Her team filed a grievance, and at the same time, European clubs were ready to pay her what the NWSL said was impossible. Faced with losing their star, the league suddenly had options they claimed didn’t exist before.
In December, the NWSL created a new “High Impact Player” rule that lets teams spend up to $1 million outside the salary cap for elite talent. Rodman became the first player to benefit. The players’ association still isn’t happy about it and filed another grievance. But at the end of the day? Trinity Rodman got her money.
“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.”
Rodman’s deal comes amid overall growth in NWSL attendance and media deals, and at a time when several American stars have moved to Europe.
Two million dollars makes Rodman the highest-paid player in women’s soccer. To put that in perspective, Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces made $252,450 last year as the WNBA’s highest-paid player. While the numbers vary significantly due to league structures, this still highlights the broader conversation around pay in women’s professional sports. The gap shows just how differently women’s leagues have handled paying their stars, even as women’s sports are breaking viewership records and signing massive media deals.
If we’re being honest here, Rodman has been carrying the Spirit since she was drafted second overall in 2021. She helped bring the team a championship as a rookie, not to mention, she’s an Olympic gold medalist and a star on the U.S. Women’s National Team. The Spirit couldn’t afford to lose her, and neither could the league. So the “High Impact Player” mechanism got created, and suddenly what seemed impossible became reality.
It’s a familiar story in women’s sports. The U.S. Women’s National Team spent years in court fighting for equal pay before reaching a settlement with U.S. Soccer in 2022. WNBA players have repeatedly had to threaten to opt out of their collective bargaining agreement to secure better salaries and working conditions. These wins don’t come from leagues voluntarily deciding to do better, but athletes who understand their value and refuse to accept anything less.
The NWSL’s media rights deals are worth 40 times what they used to be, and the league has seen consistent growth in attendance and fan engagement. The money is there, which makes Rodman’s historic contract less about what was financially possible and more about what the league was finally willing to pay. Her deal also changes the landscape for future negotiations. Other top NWSL players can now point to a seven-figure contract as proof of what’s achievable in this league, and agents have a concrete benchmark that didn’t exist before.
Rodman secured her own future, but she also redefined what’s possible for the players coming up behind her. If you haven’t already, it’s time to start planning those trips to Washington D.C. to see Rodman live and up close, now!