After months of speculation, the Trinity Rodman contract saga is over.
On Thursday night, the Washington Spirit held a special press conference to announce Rodman’s new three-year contract that ties the U.S. women’s national team superstar to the D.C.-based team through the 2028 NWSL season.
“It feels amazing. I’m very happy. I’m very blessed,” Rodman told the media. “I think it’s a monumental and game-changing moment right now, I’m just ... I don’t know, I can’t even describe in words what it feels like.”
Rodman was drafted by the Spirit in 2021, aged 19 and straight out of high school after opting out of a scholarship at Washington State University. She has gone on to help the Spirit win one NWSL championship (2021), as well as two runner-up finishes (2024 and 2025). For the Spirit, she has totaled 29 goals and 18 assists in 105 league and playoff games.
For Rodman, 2025 was a particularly difficult season as a back injury kept her off the pitch from April to August. A knee sprain in October also limited her playing time at the end of the season and into the playoffs. Rodman finished last season with a career low for appearances (17) and minutes (967). She also appeared just once for the USWNT in 2025.
Rodman opened up about how hard the past year was, especially heading into a career-changing contract negotiation while not being fully fit.
“This was the first time really dealing with an injury that was stopping me from doing what I love doing,” Rodman said. “My focus really was my injury and mental health through that, so I think I did a good job at that. And now that we’re here, it’s done, and now we can just focus on health and next season.”
The 23-year-old became a free agent when her previous deal expired on Dec. 31. That four-year contract was signed in 2022 and was worth a league record $1.1 million. According to reports from The Athletic and ESPN, Rodman's new deal is worth a world record $2 million a season once bonuses are factored in.
Why did Trinity Rodman’s new deal take so long?
Rodman reaffirmed time and time again that her preference was to stay with the Spirit, but there were plenty of hurdles when it came to getting a new contract over the line.
Over the last few years, the NWSL’s salary cap has become a huge talking point as top talent and high-profile players have consistently moved to Europe, Mexico or the Middle East, where there are no hard restrictions on player salaries.
Most recently, the departures of fellow USWNT stars Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson to Chelsea in 2025, along with Sam Coffey to Manchester City in 2026, have only intensified the scrutiny on the NWSL.
On July 1, Rodman’s free agency window began, and she was allowed to start talking to teams about a new deal. In the build-up to the 2025 NWSL championship, and in the weeks that followed, Rodman’s contract offer was the top story around the league.
In December, the NWSL rejected a contract proposal from the Spirit to Rodman, even though it didn’t violate salary cap rules because it violated the “spirit” of the rules. The league argued the back-loaded nature of the deal, along with a buyout clause, was being used as a workaround.
Rodman’s agent, Mike Senkowski, went on CBS and said in the wake of the NWSL turning down the deal, the superstar was “disappointed” and may have to “look elsewhere.”
Also in December, the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) filed a grievance against the league for rejecting the Spirit’s original contract proposal, arguing it violated Rodman’s free agency rights. That grievance has yet to be settled and will go to arbitration despite a new contract being drawn up.
How can the Washington Spirit afford Rodman?
Rodman’s unprecedented salary could not be made possible without the NWSL’s new High Impact Player rule that was announced in December, in the wake of the league rejecting the Spirit’s initial contract proposal.
The High Impact Player rule effectively allows NWSL teams to spend up to $1 million on the salary of players that meet certain criteria. Rodman meets the criteria and can be paid as a High Impact Player.
The 2026 salary cap is set at $3.5 million, with the additional funds bringing teams’ total spending up to $4.5 million. The High Impact Player rule officially comes into effect on July 1, 2026, but players can sign deals that guarantee the extra funds in the future.
“There are quite a few things that we’re not at liberty to really discuss. But yeah, absolutely, Trin's contract has benefited from the implementation of the HIP rule,” said Spirit’s president of soccer operations Haley Carter.
Was there ever a doubt? Trin is in. 🙂↕️
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) January 22, 2026
Trinity Rodman re-signs with the Washington Spirit on a three year contract. pic.twitter.com/AhCLAtdsuw
The NWSLPA has also filed a grievance against the league for its implementation of the HIP rule, arguing the union was not bargained with properly. The NWSL believes it only had to consult with the NWSLPA over the creation of the rule.
The union is asking for an additional $1 million to be added to the salary cap rather than having a separate salary designation only available to certain players.
No matter the outcome of the grievance or any changes to the HIP rule, all NWSL contracts will be fully guaranteed. Rodman and other players will be due their salaries in full.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Everything You Need to Know About Trinity Rodman’s Groundbreaking NWSL Contract.
