The daughter of Dennis Rodman, Trinity Rodman, has her next four years planned out. The 19-year-old talent turned professional over a year ago without any college soccer experience and has now secured what has been reported as the most lucrative deal in NWSL.
As per The Post, she has signed a four-year contract with Washington Spirt that is reportedly valued at over $1.1 million.
Trinity inked her previous deal after being selected as No. 2 in the 2021 NWSL draft, which included $42,000 in base salary, housing, and bonuses, according to The Post.
The new agreement is reportedly more than six times her previous earnings and is structured as a three-year contract with the option for a fourth.
Rodman is the youngest ever player to be drafted into the league at 18 years old, following in the footsteps of Sophia Smith, who was drafted at No. 1 in 2020 when she was 19. She demonstrated her talent by leading the league in assists and was named the U.S. Young Female Player for 2021.
Mike Senkowski, director of North American soccer at Octagon and Rodman’s agent, told Sportico, “The way she performed in her first year allowed us to go to the club and push to get a new deal done.” “And credit to the team: They understood it. They agree they have a generational talent [in Rodman], and they wanted to reward that,” he added.
Trinity told reporters her team was supportive of helping her make the long-term decision. “The biggest test was what we had gone through and, knowing this team had my back through everything,” Rodman said.
Regrettably, the contract falls significantly short of the earnings of the highest-paid players in men’s professional soccer. The NWSL has been striving to address this issue and, after a year of discussions, succeeded in reaching the first collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in the NWSL’s 10-year history.
According to Yahoo Sports, it extends through 2025 and introduces free agency in 2023, an increase in the league’s minimum salary, other rises in player compensation, additional benefits, and the possibility of revenue sharing.
Who Is Trinity Rodman?
Rodman’s ascent in the women’s professional game has been remarkably swift.
She was set to play college soccer with Washington State but chose to forego her college eligibility and was picked by the Washington Spirit second overall in 2021, becoming the youngest player ever to be drafted by the league.
In her debut season, Rodman made a significant impact, guiding the club to the NWSL title by scoring seven goals and providing a league-leading seven assists.
On the back of these game-changing performances, she was named NWSL Rookie of the Year, and U.S. Soccer selected her as Young Female Player of the Year, a remarkable achievement for a player without a single senior cap to her name.
Following her stellar first season, Rodman became the highest-earning player in the league’s history, recently signing an extension with Washington for four years worth up to a reported $1.1 million. NWSL clubs can use the league terms allocation money to pay Rodman above the league salary maximum.
Rodman had previously represented U.S. youth national teams. She has scored nine goals in just seven matches with the United States Under-20 side, fueling the anticipation ahead of her senior side debut.
And if her surname sounds familiar, she also happens to be the daughter of Dennis Rodman, who played in the NBA for 14 seasons and won five NBA titles.
