Jeff CarlisleNov 20, 2025, 03:53 PM ETCloseJeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC.
The Spirit head to the NWSL finals after win over the Thorns (1:11)The Spirit head to the NWSL finals after a win over the Thorns. (1:11)
SAN JOSE, Calif. — NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said Thursday that the NWSL is prepared to do what it takes to keep Washington Spirit and United States forward Trinity Rodman in the league.
“We want Trinity in our league and we will fight for her,” Berman said in her annual State of the League address.
ESPN reported last Saturday that Rodman has received multiple offers from England. A source with knowledge of the contract talks concerning Rodman confirmed to ESPN that the Spirit forward also has an offer on the table from a team in the USL Super League that is worth far more than what the NWSL can match.
The highest known annual salary in the NWSL is for Portland Thorns FC forward Sophia Wilson, which she signed in March of 2024.
Rodman told reporters on Thursday that she will decide on her future after Saturday’s NWSL Championship, where the Spirit play Gotham FC.
“Genuinely speaking, I’ve made no decisions,” Rodman said. “Yeah, there could be conversations being had, but right now I am so excited to be representing the Spirit. I’m not even thinking of when my last game will be. I just want to win it and then we’ll see.”
“We do not believe the NWSL is a charity,” she said. “We believe it is a business, and in order to treat it like a business, it means that the amount that our teams are investing has to have a rational relationship to revenue.
Berman also stressed that compensation is only one factor in why players choose the NWSL. The level of competition, the quality of club infrastructure — including training facilities and stadiums — and the standard of coaching are all additional criteria players weigh alongside pay.
“When you look at those four Cs as we call them — competition, compensation, club [infrastructure] and coaching — we believe that we are putting forth a very compelling value proposition to be able to attract, retain and develop top talent.”
“I started and got drafted in this league,” Rodman said. “So, it’s created such an amazing soccer player in myself. It’s brought out a lot of things. I’ve learned a lot. This league has grown every single year, so obviously I’m honored to have her say that.
Spirit goalkeeper Kaylie Collins, who is one of the team’s player representatives with the NWSLPA, expressed support for raising the salary cap.
Rodman has only played a handful of minutes in the playoffs as she works her way back from a knee injury she suffered in a Concacaf W Champions Cup match in October.
The Spirit head to the NWSL finals after win over the Thorns (1:11)The Spirit head to the NWSL finals after a win over the Thorns. (1:11)
“And so when we go through that process of reviewing the overall ecosystem and the value proposition that we’re offering to top talent and to our players, and we’re looking at the amount being invested in training facilities, in stadiums, in compensation for players, we have to look at it in the context of where our business is at.”
ESPN writer Jeff Kassouf contributed to this report.
The Spirit head to the NWSL finals after a win over the Thorns. (1:11)
CloseJeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC.