Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman is blazing trails on the pro-soccer field in more ways than one this year.
The 19-year-old daughter of NBA Hall-of-Famer Dennis Rodman signed a record-breaking $1.1 million guaranteed contract with the Washington Spirit on Wednesday, making her the highest-paid player in National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) history, according to Sportico.
She’s hoping her new landmark four-year deal, with an optional fifth year, will help pave the way for her NWSL peers to receive better compensation for their talents.
“The league is growing every single day, and the players are the biggest part of that,” Rodman recently told Sportico. “We’ve worked so hard, and we deserve the world. And I hope this deal shows that.”
Rodman became the youngest drafted player in NWSL history last year after the Spirit made her the second-overall pick.
The seven goals and seven assists she netted for her team, which won its first NWSL championship in November, were good enough to earn Rodman 2021 Rookie of the Year honors.
“We’re excited to re-sign Trinity and continue to support her development as a player,” Ben Olsen, Washington Spirit president, said in a statement on Wednesday. “She has accomplished a great deal early in her career and our focus is to provide the right environment for her to reach her potential.”
Rodman’s rapid success came amid a rocky season for both the Spirit and the NSWL, which was embroiled in an abuse scandal that led to the firing of Washington head coach Richie Burke in September.
Burke was suspended in August after multiple former Spirit players said they left the team due to his verbal and emotional abuse, as reported by the Washington Post.
None of that stopped Rodman from providing the game-winning assist in her team’s championship matchup against the Chicago Red Stars in November.
“What our team has been through was insane and what the league’s been through has been crazy, but [my team in] D.C. has been amazing,” Rodman recently told Sportico. “The growth that I’ve had here — I don’t even know the words to describe it. I’m just so grateful for what I’ve learned and the people I’ve been around throughout the season.”
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