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NWSL Jeff Dean / Getty Images U. S. women’s national team forward Trinity Rodman is staying with the Washington Spirit, signing a new three-year contract to stay with the team through 2028, the team announced on Thursday in a special event at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Rodman’s new deal is set to make her one of the highest-paid women’s players in the world, worth in excess of $2 million annually, according to her agent, Mike Senkowski of Upper 90 Sports Group. Advertisement The forward’s previous four-year, $1. 1 million extension signed in 2022 after her rookie season lapsed on Dec. 31, 2025. On Thursday, Rodman signed her contract during the live event, flanked by Spirit owner Michele Kang, president of soccer operations Haley Carter and CEO Kim Stone in L. A. , where the forward is training with the U. S. ahead of Saturday’s friendly against Paraguay. “This is one of the biggest moments, for me personally, as well as for the Spirit. I flew all the way from London to be here today, ” Kang, who also owns London City Lionesses in England and OL Lyonnes in France, said. “I can’t tell you how excited I am. I had to wait for this for a long time. ” The 23-year-old Rodman has spent her entire professional career with the Spirit. The team selected her second overall in the 2021 NWSL draft and made her the youngest player to be drafted (18) at the time. That same year, Rodman was named Rookie of the Year and the Spirit went on to win the NWSL championship. She provided the assist for Kelley O’Hara’s game-winning goal. Before this current deal, the club had made Rodman a different multimillion-dollar offer that the NWSL rejected because it failed to honor the “spirit” of the league’s rules, according to sources who spoke with The Athletic at the time. The NWSL’s rejection of that offer prompted the NWSL Players Association to file a grievance on Rodman’s behalf, the league denied that filing and now could head to arbitration with the union. Rodman’s deal utilizes the new High Impact Player rule, which the league introduced on Dec. 23. The mechanism, colloquially known as the “Rodman Rule, ” allows NWSL teams to spend up to $1 million above the salary cap on players who meet certain criteria, including USWNT minutes and appearances on various media lists. The NWSL insists the rule was created with the future of the league in mind, but with its timing — in the midst of the conversation about Rodman, one week before her free agency started — sources have said the player was a key factor in its creation. The rule does not take effect until July 1, but teams can start signing players to deals now. Advertisement “The league, all of us, all the governors and the league leadership, work very, very hard to ensure that we not only attract the best talent, but we keep them here, ” Kang said. “Trin’s contract certainly is benefiting from it. But it was not just for Trin. It’s much bigger than (one player). It’s for the league-wide efforts. ” Last week, the NWSL Players Association filed a formal grievance opposing the High Impact Player rule, arguing that it “circumvents the collective bargaining process” and should be rescinded. Players, through the union, also communicated their concern that the criteria “privileges a biased voting system that heavily favors European players” and does not account “for the high impact that Brazilian, African, and Japanese Players (sic) have had and will continue to have on NWSL. ” Washington is the first club to publicly announce signing a player to an HIP deal. Denver Summit general manager Curt Johnson, who signed U. S. captain Lindsey Heaps last week, said the expansion team is considering using the feature on Heaps. Rodman’s landmark move to stay narrowly avoids a foray into European soccer after what would have been a short but explosive career in the U. S. that included an NWSL Championship and Rookie of the Year award in 2021 and two finalist appearances. Her signing also concludes more than three months of tense back and forth between the NWSL, the Spirit, the NWSL Players’ Association (NWSLPA) and Rodman’s representation about her future; however, discussions over Rodman’s future at the club started as early as the start of 2025. “This is a monumental moment, not only for the Spirit, but for NWSL as well. But personally, my involvement with this Spirit literally started with Trinity. I still remember the Draft Day, ” Kang said. “I can’t think about Washington Spirit without her, and I hope she can’t think about her career without Washington Spirit. ” Advertisement The Spirit reached the NWSL Championship twice more in 2024 and 2025, losing to the Orlando Pride and Gotham FC, respectively. Overall, Rodman proved an irreplaceable force and a highly marketable icon. She amassed a total of 28 goals and 17 assists in 97 appearances across all competitions. Rodman’s previous season with the Spirit was plagued by injuries: first a persistent back issue that kept her out of action for four months, and then a minor MCL strain that took a month to rehab. Despite her absences, she still scored five goals, including a game-winner in August upon her return from her back injury, and recorded two assists. She returned to the U. S. this week for her first camp under Emma Hayes since April 2025. “It’s a monumental and game-changing moment right now, ” Rodman said. “Everyone’s gonna have their different thoughts and opinions about it, but I’ve never really cared. That doesn’t change anything for me. I think I’ve always had a vision and kind of an idea of what I wanted my legacy to be and continue to be. “This is just opening opportunities for American girls with dreams, and I am one, and was one of them. I’m just very grateful about that. And it’s perfect timing with the World Cup happening in the U. S. , too. ”