Summary
Trinity Rodman signed a three-year deal with the Washington Spirit, making it the highest salary for a female soccer player. The deal sparked debate due to salary cap issues in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The league introduced a new rule to work around the salary cap to keep top players.
Key Facts
- Trinity Rodman signed a new three-year contract with the Washington Spirit.
- This contract gives Rodman the highest salary for a female soccer player, understood to be more than $2 million per year.
- The deal faced controversy because it bypassed the NWSL salary cap.
- The NWSL salary cap is $3.5 million per team for the 2026 season, reaching $5.1 million by 2030.
- The league created a "High Impact Player" rule, allowing teams to exceed the salary cap by $1 million for certain qualified players.
- This rule was challenged by the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) for potentially violating the collective bargaining agreement.
- The NWSLPA also claimed that the new rule violated federal labor law because player pay should be negotiated, not dictated.
- Rodman’s keeping in the league was significant as many US stars opted to play in Europe, where there are no salary caps.
