The Washington Spirit this week signed Trinity Rodman, the daughter of NBA star Dennis Rodman, to a four-year deal. The extension with the 19-year-old is worth more than $1.1 million, making it the richest contract in the history of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), according to The Washington Post.
Octagon Soccer, which represents Rodman, said that the deal makes Rodman the league’s highest-paid player. Rodman was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NWSL draft by the Spirit, which then won the league championship. She scored seven goals and had seven assists, and was named the league’s Rookie of the Year.
“We’re incredibly excited to have Trin as a part of the Spirit family for at least the next three seasons. She has a truly special career ahead of her and makes us a better club on all fronts,” said Spirit coach Kris Ward.
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Rodman was also named the 2021 U.S. Soccer Young Player of the Year after her rookie season with the Spirit. She earned her first call-up with the national team for its January camp. According to Marca Soccer News, her deal runs through the 2024 season with a team option for 2025 that will be activated the first time she plays in a match for the Spirit this season.
It will be recalled that in her debut match with the Washington Spirit in April 2021, she made history as the youngest American goal scorer in league history. Despite being the daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, she insists on paving her own path after her history-making goal, she said at the time.
“He was an amazing athlete, and I got those genes from him, but I’m excited to be known as Trinity Rodman and not just as Rodman’s daughter,” she told CNN. “I’m excited to pave my own path and get better throughout this journey.”
A few minutes into that game, after subbing fellow teammate Kumi Yokoyama in the 60th minute, Rodman walked the talk about carving a niche for herself by scoring a goal for her team against North Carolina Courage, although the scoreline for the game was 3-2 against The Washington Spirit. She was swarmed by teammates who congratulated her and she was even referred to as a GOAT, or greatest of all time, “in the making“, PEOPLE reported.
“The kid is just brilliant. She’s a machine as an athlete, just unbelievable,” Coach Richie Burke said after the game. “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.”
The soccer star on the rise has said that her mom, Michelle Moyer, is her rock who has stood by her every step of the way. Although she has worked hard to get to the professional league, Rodman also gives some credit to her teammates for helping her out whenever she needs them.
Per USA Today, before joining the big leagues, Rodman was a standout for the U.S. U20 national team – scoring eight goals and adding six assists at the 2020 CONCACAF U20 Women’s Championship and a finalist for U.S. Soccer’s Young Female Player of the Year.
