She’s the youngest soccer player to receive such a deal!
Trinity Rodman just inked a $1 million soccer deal, making history as the highest paid player in the league, The Grio reports.
Rodman is the 19-year-old daughter of NBA Hall-of-Famer Dennis Rodman and she’s wasting no time on making a name for herself. Last year, she was drafted to the Washington Spirit, becoming the youngest player to be drafted in National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) history. Her national debut with the league was impressive as well, many soccer fans tuning in to see what Rodman was going to bring to the table.
“The kid is just brilliant. She’s a machine as an athlete, just unbelievable. When you play against her, you train with her; you see how quickly she closes you down. She’s deceptively quick to close you down. But now she’s getting tactically better, too,” said former Washington Spirit coach Richie Burke.
Now, it seems she has brought a lot, finishing out last season with seven goals and seven assists netted for her team, which won their first NWSL championship this past year and earned Rodman the 2021 Rookie of the Year honors. Eager to lock in the budding soccer star for next year, the Washington Spirit just signed a $1.1 million guaranteed contract with Rodman, making her the highest paid player in NWSL history. The four-year deal with an optional fifth year is historic for any women’s soccer player, much less one of the youngest. Rodman hopes that this deal will set the tone for other players going forward and spark a conversation about better compensation for NWSL players.
Congrats to @trinity_rodman on signing a landmark deal with the @WashSpirit and becoming the highest-paid player in @NWSL HISTORY! pic.twitter.com/igmckoyFz9
advertisement— Octagon Soccer (@octagonsoccer) February 2, 2022
“The league is growing every single day, and the players are the biggest part of that. We’ve worked so hard, and we deserve the world. And I hope this deal shows that,” Rodman told reporters.
The Spirit players experienced a rocky season this year, coach Burke being fired after numerous players accused him of verbal and emotional abuse. Despite the challenges, Rodman was still able to thrive and lead the Spirit to a championship season.
“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. 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,” said Rodman.
Washington Spirit president Ben Olsen spoke about Rodman’s historic deal, saying, “We’re excited to re-sign Trinity and continue to support her development as a player. 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.”
Congratulations,Trinity! Keep setting the bar high!
Photo Courtesy of Trinity Rodman/Instagram