Trinity Rodman receives contract from Super League team larger than NWSL can match: Sources – The Athletic

Trinity Rodman has a contract offer from DC Power of the Gainbridge Super League that is significantly larger than what the Spirit or NWSL is able to counter under the current salary cap limitations, according to sources who have been briefed on negotiations.

A spokesperson for DC Power declined to comment Thursday.

Commissioner Jessica Berman, speaking at the NWSL Championship media day, responded to a question about competition from within the United States, stressing again that they are working to retain Rodman within the league.

“As it relates to Trinity and candidly, any other top player in the world, we want those top players here in the NWSL,” she said, “and particularly we want Trinity in the NWSL, and we will fight for her.”

Rodman credits the NWSL for creating an “amazing soccer player,” referencing herself. She said Berman’s desire to keep her is an honor.

“This league has grown a lot, so obviously I’m honored to have her say that. Obviously, just really happy about that. But at the same time, I don’t want to put that pressure on myself — because she said that, now I’m like ‘Oh shoot, I’m trapped,’” she said. “Again, I’m focused on this weekend, and that’s really all I can focus on. Then, moving forward, that’s when I really have those conversations and tough calls that I need to have.”

Our market has more interest in female athletes than any other league in the world.”

“It is in commissioner Jessica Berman’s hands now to decide what to do with the cap space,” Rodman’s agent Mike Senkowski told The Athletic. “Soccer is a global game; it’s nice to have global options.”

The Super League, formed by the USL and also sanctioned as a Division I league, was built without a salary cap or a player draft to allow clubs independence during the roster-building process; all players are also free agents at the conclusion of their individual contracts. The league currently operates without a collective bargaining agreement in place between the league and its players.

This provides a direct contrast against the NWSL, which operates with a hard salary cap — currently set at $3.3 million per team for the 2026 season. Based on the current NWSL CBA, that number will finally surpass the $5 million mark by the 2030 season. The NWSL has the power, based on that agreement with the NWSL Players’ Association, to adjust the salary cap as it deems fit after consulting with the PA.

Neither league has a maximum salary for any single player.

Berman also said Thursday the cap has been raised “tremendously” since her arrival as commissioner, and that it is tied directly to the business of the league itself.

“As the business grows, we will analyze that each and every season,” Berman said. She added that players consider other factors beyond salaries when deciding to play for an NWSL team, including training environments and the level of competition across the league. The Spirit and DC Power share some of the same facilities owned by MLS’ D.C. United, which also shares ownership with the Power.

“I go and sit with the players on every single team in the NWSL every season, and they tell me, yes, compensation matters. But they are also thinking about compensation, not just from the perspective of what their club is paying them, but also from the league’s perspective,” Berman said. She cited competition, the club and coaching as the three other primary components for attracting and retaining players in the NWSL.

“We believe on a holistic basis, if you’re a player who wants to be performing at your best and wants to be valued and supported and feel like you have the opportunity to train in a best-in-class environment within a best-in-class league, that the NWSL is the place for you.”

The NWSL is about to wrap up its 13th season with attendance nearing 2 million for the 2025 season, and having experienced growth once again when it comes to expansion (a $165 million fee for team No. 17 in Atlanta, announced earlier this month) and team valuations (Angel City FC leads the league at $280 million). The Gainbridge Super League was established in 2021, with the inaugural season taking place across 2024 and 2025.

Now in its second season, the Super League has nine teams with three set to start play in 2027, compared to the NWSL’s 14 for the 2025 season, with two more starting in 2026. Average attendance across the Super League has yet to crack 3,000 attendees per team; most teams play in smaller stadiums compared to NWSL clubs.

Rodman is the greatest test for the NWSL and the salary cap yet, after other high-profile departures of primarily American talent to top European teams over the past few seasons. Earlier this year, Angel City FC forward Alyssa Thompson departed for Chelsea, following in the footsteps of Naomi Girma, Lindsey Heaps and others, as well as other USWNT talent such as Cat Macario and Lily Yohannes, who have bypassed the NWSL entirely. Rodman has also received offers from Europe.

There have been some lingering questions from the NWSL and its fans that USWNT head coach Emma Hayes has actively been urging players to head to Europe, a concern that she has pushed back on multiple times.

“My position regarding Trinity is the same as it is with every one of our players, and that is, what’s in the best interest for Trinity at this stage of her career and what her desires are — and if that’s to stay in the NWSL, then she’ll have my full support. If it’s not to stay in the NWSL, she also has my full support,” Hayes said during a press availability earlier this week.

Rodman’s agent has been directly negotiating with commissioner Jessica Berman over Rodman’s future in the NWSL, but her representation has also had talks with at least three teams in the English Women’s Super League as well. As for Rodman, currently in San Jose with the Washington Spirit for the NWSL Championship on Saturday, all decisions are waiting after the final match of the season.

“Once we get this championship,” Rodman said after last week’s semifinal victory, “then I can start making decisions and figuring out what next year looks like for me.”