Star athlete, Trinity Rodman just became the highest-paid female footballer in the history of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She plays as a forward for Washington Spirit and the United States women’s national soccer team. According to reports from the HBCU news channel, Rodman just signed a contract extension for a four-year deal worth $1.1 million with the Washington Spirit. Â
The daughter of NBA royalty, Dennis Rodman, Trinity already set a record when she became the youngest drafted player in NSWL history at 18. She was also the NWSL Rookie of the Year, NWSL Best XI award, and U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year honours after her first season in 2021. Therefore, it stands to reason why her contract has seen a significant bump. It is also a huge step up from her previous three-year contract which saw her earning $42,000.Â
How much is she earning?Â
Her new contract is actually worth $1.12 million as she is set to earn $281,000 every year for four years with an option to extend the contract by a year. This new contract eclipses that of other female soccer players Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe which is $250,000 a year.Â
Wage disparity in football (soccer) in AmericaÂ
- In most cases, men’s sports generally receive more attention and pay than women’s sports, even in cases when the women’s team performs better than the men.Â
- The US Women Soccer Players Association won a settlement on discrimination and unequal pay earlier this year, paving the way for Trinity Rodman to sign her new, impressive contract. The settlement was only made possible after six years of legal action.
- American soccer’s governing body agreed to pay $24 million, and made a commitment to equalize pay and bonuses to match the men’s team. Soccer is the least paying popular sport for men in the US so female players made very little before the settlement.Â