Trinity Rodman signs record £1.5m-a-year deal under new ‘Rodman Rule’
Trinity Rodman has signed what the article calls the most lucrative contract in the history of women’s football, a reported £1.5m-a-year deal, flanked by Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang and a young fan called Emma in pink braids; the move comes under a new NWSL provision widely dubbed the “Rodman Rule”, which was brought in late last year and allows clubs to pay over the salary cap for marketable stars.
The piece describes Rodman, 23, as a high-profile player for the TikTok generation, noting her Olympic gold medal and 49 international caps and pointing to her on-field moments such as spectacular strikes and the “Trin Spin” as central to her appeal. The deal was opposed by the players’ association, which the article says argued the rule violated the collective bargaining agreement and would create a two-tier employment system; the association has filed two grievances against the league that remain unresolved.
The article adds that “while Rodman will definitely get paid, nobody really knows how the ‘math’ is going to work in the long run.” The NWSL’s financial context is outlined: the per-team salary cap is said to be £2.4m, having trebled since 2022 and scheduled to rise to £3.6m by 2030 with a share of media revenue.
The article also says rosters are filling up ahead of 2026, that the national team captain Lindsey Heaps is expected to return from Lyon, and that Forbes estimates the league’s 14 teams are worth a collective £1.4bn.
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