When the Washington Spirit take to the field in the National Women’s Soccer League championship game on Saturday, it may be the last league appearance for one of its most dynamic players, at least for now.
Spirit forward Trinity Rodman will be a free agent after the season and is attracting interest from deep-pocketed European teams.
The do-or-die drama surrounding Rodman’s potential move overseas has fueled questions about whether the league’s salary cap is hampering the league’s ability to retain quality players.
NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman defended the salary cap Thursday, but left no doubt about her thoughts on Rodman.
“We want to have Trinity in the NWSL, so we will fight for her,” Berman said.
League salary cap set to increase annually at $3.5 million per team for 2026 season to $5.1 million in 2030. the critics say it’s not enough In today’s market.
In his annual address before the title game between the Spirit and Gotham FC in San Jose, Calif., Berman, who has been involved in efforts to keep Rodman in-state, noted that the league’s salary cap has quadrupled over the past four years.
She also insisted that players consider a range of factors when deciding where to play, including not just remuneration but also the level of competition, coaching and club facilities.
U.S. coach Emma Hayes was asked about Rodman’s situation and the salary cap during a conference call with reporters this week.
“Having worked as a club coach for many years, I absolutely don’t have the answer to that. What I do know is that my position with Trinity is the same as with all of our players, which is what is in the best interest of Trinity at this stage of her career and what her wishes are, and if that is to remain in the NWSL, she will have my full support,” Hayes said. “If I don’t stay in the NWSL, she has my full support as well.”
It’s not a new argument. It came to me earlier this year, Defender Naomi Girma joins Chelseaand again in mid-season, Chelsea poached young forward Alyssa Thompson from Angel City.
Chelsea paid a transfer fee of $1 million to the San Diego Wave for Girma, one of the best defenders in the world. Thompson signed with Angel City earlier this year and played in her hometown along with her sister Gisele. But she chose to move to Chelsea For the challenge.
The English Women’s Super League does not have an official salary cap, but instead has a “soft cap” that allows parent clubs to use up to 80% of their revenue towards player salaries with limited owner contributions. WSL also introduced minimum salary requirements in September.
The NWSL and its Players Association may revisit the salary cap at any time. But Berman insisted that any investment in the team “must have a reasonable relationship to the bottom line.”
“As we go through the process of reviewing our entire ecosystem and the value proposition that we’re delivering to our top talent and players, when we look at the amount of money that’s being invested in training facilities, stadiums and player compensation, we have to look at it in the context of where our business is,” Berman said. “And of course we’ve made incredible progress in a very short period of time to drive commercial growth both at league level and at our clubs. But that’s the lens we consistently look at it through.”
Alex Morgan, one of the NWSL’s original stars who retired last year, believes the league still needs a salary cap.
“If you look at all the leagues here in the U.S., the salary cap is there for a reason and these leagues are incredibly successful. And obviously the NWSL is doing something right because there’s so much international talent, so much top-tier talent signing in the U.S. and signing with the NWSL over the last few years that the valuations of these teams are so high,” Morgan told The Associated Press in September. “Can we do everything right all the time? No. So I think payroll is something the NWSL will have to look at going forward. But I think it’s fair to say the NWSL is the most competitive league in the world. When you think about talent, we compete as one of the top three leagues in the entire world.”
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