Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Spirit general manager Nathan Minion said there were “no updates right now” regarding Rodman’s ongoing contract negotiations.
“We’re continuing to work with the league, work with Trin’s representation,” Minion said. “(We are having) conversations pretty much daily with everyone, trying to find a resolution with everything. We’re just continuing down that path.”
Minion spoke with reporters alongside Haley Carter, the Spirit’s new president of soccer operations. Carter joined the club earlier this month after three successful seasons with the Orlando Pride, and was retained by the Spirit in large part to help the franchise keep top players like Rodman, who entered free agency at the end of the 2025 season.
Rodman’s looming free agency was a recurring narrative in the NWSL this year, with questions around her future resurfacing every time another USWNT player departed the league for Europe. First, when Naomi Girma joined Chelsea in January, and then again in September when Alyssa Thompson joined Girma at the English club.
Last week, Rodman was ready to accept a multimillion-dollar offer from the Spirit to remain with the club. However, NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman vetoed that proposal over salary cap compliance issues, according to sources who were briefed on the deal but not authorized to speak publicly. The NWSL Players Association has since filed a grievance with the NWSL on behalf of Rodman, arguing the league violated at least five different sections of the current collective bargaining agreement.
Several questions posed to Carter and Minion during their hour-long press conference on Tuesday revolved around the status of Rodman’s future at the club.
“The league is committed to working with us, and we’re committed to working with them through that,” Minion said. “It is a lot of back and forth. So, it’s just a continual process and that’s why I say we’re probably (having) daily conversations with them, trying to figure this out and trying to get a resolution that can hopefully keep Trinity here with us for a long time.”
Carter spoke more broadly on what Rodman’s case means for the league. She said the league has been receptive to working with the Spirit.
“I’m cautiously optimistic at the attention that is being spent and dedicated on this and the resources that are being dedicated on coming up with the solution,” Carter said. “Sooner is better, but I also think that we owe it to ourselves to make sure that we’re coming up with the solution that serves to compensate the athletes, but also ensures that the league is in a good space.”
The dispute around Rodman raises questions over how the NWSL can position itself within the growing ecosystem of global women’s football. The NWSL operates with an existing salary cap, while clubs in Europe can offer players significantly larger contracts as they’re not limited by any similar restrictions. Clubs in the two-year-old Gainbridge Super League also operate without a salary cap, with DC Power even offering Rodman a contract.
“Obviously, Trinity is the No. 1 priority right now, but as part of that, there’s a holistic conversation that’s going on around the potential for league-level solutions,” Carter said. “The reality is, our current salary cap structure, it was built for a different era of women’s soccer. This is a global game, and as the sport continues to grow globally and international clubs. The Chelseas, the Arsenals, are increasing their investment; we’re going to need mechanisms that allow NWSL clubs to compete for, not only players from overseas, but our own players and being able to retain them.”
Carter said the Spirit have been working “every day” with the NWSL and its board of governors on creative solutions that would help the league retain the world’s best players, including Rodman.
“Trinity is sort of the impetus for this, but this isn’t just about one player. We’ve already lost multiple players this year and to transfer windows overseas for massive transfer fees,” Carter said. “So, it’s really about retaining those athletes, building a roster that can compete sustainably, keeping our best players, attracting even more elite talent, and also creating an environment where world-class athletes want to be.
“That’s going to require some innovation from a strategic roster construction standpoint with mechanisms that we might not have explored yet.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
US Women’s national team, Washington Spirit, NWSL, Women’s Soccer
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