The National Women’s Soccer League Players Association has filed a grievance against the league over Trinity Rodman’s vetoed contract extension with the Washington Spirit.
The Athletic’s Meg Linehan has viewed a copy of the grievance.
A four-year, multi-million deal for the United States forward was rejected by commissioner Jessica Berman earlier in the week due to perceived “salary cap circumvention.” The proposed deal for the 23-year-old Rodman was backloaded with a view to a better media rights deal for the league upon the expiry of the current contract in 2027 and an expectation of a club cap of over $4 million.
The union contends the league violated Rodman’s rights as a free agent in a “flagrant” manner.
“It comes down to a very simple premise,” union executive director Meghann Burke told Linehan. “If they can mess with Trinity Rodman’s free agency rights, they can mess with anyone’s. And we won’t stand for that.”
A native of Newport Beach, CA, Rodman just played out the final year of a four-year, $1.1 million deal. The Washington State product is free to sign outside of the league and is expected to receive lucrative offers from European sides. Rodman was reportedly the subject of a major offer from the Super League’s DC Power late last month.
The daughter of basketball icon Dennis Rodman, Rodman appeared in 15 league matches for the Spirit this season, scoring five goals. She has 28 goals in 97 league appearances across five seasons. Rodman and the Spirit won the NWSL Championship in 2021.
Internationally, Rodman made her senior debut in 2022 and has been capped 47 times by the USWNT. Rodman was a member of the United States team that won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She has 11 international goals for her career.
