Trinity Rodman free agency: NWSL commissioner reportedly vetoes Spirit's multi-million dollar offer

The Washington Spirit's bid to retain Trinity Rodman has reportedly hit a new obstacle: NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman.

According to Bloomberg and The Athletic, the Spirit had a multi-million dollar offer prepared for Rodman and the star forward was ready to accept, only for Berman to veto a deal that would have kept one of the faces of the NWSL in the U.S.

The deal reportedly would have paid Rodman an average of more than $1 million per year — similar to what she could get from the top European clubs — but with a sliding scale that would have paid her significantly more in the second half of the deal. That would have coincided with the expiration of the NWSL's media rights deal, with more money theoretically coming in with the next deal.

Berman reportedly felt the structure of the contract would have violated the spirit of the league. In response, the NWSL Players Association has reportedly filed a grievance on Rodman's behalf.

The league's comment, from The Athletic:

“Our goal is to ensure that the very best players in the world, including Trinity, continue to call this league home. We will do everything we can, utilizing every lever available within our rules to keep Trinity Rodman here,” a league spokesperson said Wednesday night.

While the NWSL said it wants to do whatever it can to retain Rodman while remaining within the rules, it's unclear what rule the proposed contract would have actually violated. The Athletic notes the NWSL's salary cap regulations do not appear to forbid increasing a salary year-to-year as long as the team remains under the salary cap, and there is no limit on how big a single player's salary can get.

The salary cap is reportedly set to grow from $3.5 million in 2026 to $4.9 million in 2029.

None of that is encouraging news for anyone invested in Rodman continuing her NWSL tenure, with European clubs continuing to circle for her talents while being unbound by an salary cap. The situation is becoming a referendum on the salary cap itself, as more than a few notable players, such as Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson, have already crossed the Atlantic for more lucrative deals.

Rodman's agent has reportedly even met Berman to try to figure out a solution, but we now know at least one idea won't pass muster on the league's side.