NWSL Offers Players Rule Change to Pay Stars Over Cap

The NWSL has approved a workaround to the Trinity Rodman contract dispute, but it’s going to require union support to pass.

The league’s board of governors approved a “High Impact Player” fund on Thursday that would let teams go up to $1 million over the salary cap for certain players without taking on a full cap hit of that amount, ESPN reported. It’s a similar model to MLS’s Designated Player rule that originated with David Beckham and continues with stars like Lionel Messi. The MLS rule has no limit for how much teams can pay those players.

The board’s newly approved rule would only apply to NWSL players that meet certain qualifications such as rankings lists, national team participation, or commercial success, ESPN reported. Rodman would easily meet the criteria.

“The NWSLPA received a proposal from the NWSL yesterday,” a spokesperson for the union said in a statement to FOS. “We are evaluating the proposal and will not have further comment until the NWSLPA has had a meaningful opportunity to review and respond.”

The Washington Spirit declined to comment. The league did not immediately provide comment.

The model still requires approval from the NWSL Players’ Association, which has heavily criticized the league’s handling of the negotiations thus far.

Rodman, a Spirit forward and U.S. Women’s National Team star, has been at the center of a contentious labor battle over the past few weeks after her team lost the NWSL final.

Commissioner Jessica Berman said the league “will do everything we can” to keep Rodman in the NWSL. Yet the league vetoed the four-year, multimillion dollar deal the star forward reached with the Spirit. Had the deal been approved, Rodman would have earned an average of $1 million per year over four years. The league’s veto prompted the NWSLPA to file a grievance last week claiming the league violated multiple sections of the 2024 collective bargaining agreement.

“If the NWSL can interfere with Trinity Rodman’s free-agency rights, they can interfere with anyone’s,” NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke told FOS at the time. “We won’t stand for that.” 

The current NWSL CBA does not limit player salaries, but it does have a salary cap for teams. The Spirit had tried to get around this by backloading its proposed deal with Rodman. The salary cap in 2025 was $3.3 million per team, and will grow to $5.1 million by 2030, though that figure can increase with revenue sharing.

Meanwhile, Rodman’s agent said she has fielded heavy interest from European clubs who offered her more money than her NWSL club. D.C. Power of the Gainbridge Super League also offered her a sizable deal.

Rodman’s USWNT teammates Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson both left the NWSL for seven-figure opportunities at Chelsea this year.