Because the Nationwide Girls’s Soccer League prepares for its greatest sport of the 12 months, the NWSL Championship (8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+), it finds itself within the midst of one other high-stakes second — whether or not its greatest star might be retained. 

Washington Spirit ahead Trinity Rodman is navigating a pivotal second in her younger profession. Her 2025 season has been a balancing act of persistent again harm, with an epic comeback, just for a brand new harm to hamper her playoff standing. She’s managed all of the highs and lows whereas working beneath the unknown of the place she might play subsequent, and now, whether or not or not that is her final sport with the Spirit.

“No, I am not there in any respect. And genuinely talking, like I’ve made no choices,” Rodman advised the media on if she’s considered this being her final Spirit sport.

“Yeah, there may very well be conversations being had, however proper now, like, I’m so excited to be representing the Spirit. I am not even pondering of when my final sport might be. However, yeah, I simply need to win it [the championship], and we’ll see.”

She’s presently on the final 12 months of her contract, a record-setting deal she signed out of her rookie 12 months that was the first-ever million-dollar deal in NWSL on the time. There’s been loads of reporting across the elevated curiosity she’s receiving each abroad and even via different competing leagues inside the USA.

Together with curiosity from groups in England, DC Energy of the USL Tremendous League is and has a contract “considerably bigger” than something the NWSL can presently provide, in keeping with The Athletic. The league is one other division one girls’s league working within the U.S., presently in its second 12 months of operation, and operates and not using a wage cap. 

On Thursday, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman mentioned in response to presents from opponents that the league “will combat” to maintain Rodman within the league, and the participant was moved by the sentiment however was making an attempt to retain her deal with the championship closing. 

“I am honored to have her say that … Actually completely satisfied about that, however on the similar time, like, I do not need to put that stress on myself, of like, as a result of she mentioned that now I am like, ‘Oh shoot. Like, I am trapped.’ However on the similar time, I am centered on this weekend, and that is actually all I can deal with, after which shifting ahead, that is once I actually have these conversations and hard calls that I have to have,” Rodman mentioned. 

The wage cap has quickly grow to be a degree of rivalry in a 12 months the place a number of gamers have opted to go play abroad. U.S. nationwide group defender Naomi Girma kicked off the switch stream of gamers in January, whereas winger Alyssa Thompson adopted in the course of the summer season. Defender Emily Fox has performed with Arsenal since 2024, and midfielder Catarina Macario turned professional out of Stanford and commenced her profession in France and is now with Chelsea.

The league is bullish on the wage cap as its fundamental mechanism to maintain its world-renowned parity. That, to maintain a league aggressive, means there’s expertise throughout golf equipment, and never only one or two groups. 

“I am not, like, a vet within the league, like, there’s solely a lot I can say,” Rodman shared about retaining expertise throughout the league. “It is grown a lot 12 months to 12 months, so I am grateful for that. And even a place that I am in, and the pay that I am getting already is greater than a number of gamers, so there’s solely a lot I can converse to, and people are conversations my brokers are having. So for me, my focus is on the sector. There’s solely a lot I can converse on. Clearly, gamers need to receives a commission as a lot cash as they presumably can. So, if that may develop, that’d be wonderful. However on the similar time, the league is slowly however certainly rising each single 12 months.”

Whether or not or not the wage cap is an acceptable mechanism for the league, its golf equipment, and gamers to navigate retention and expertise, for Rodman, it is a complicated steadiness with the league she’s been with since she was 18 years previous.

“I imply, I feel it is onerous to say. In girls’s sports activities, there’s at all times this combat for equal pay to receives a commission extra for the work that we do. However once more, like, I am 23 years previous, I am not going to attempt to utterly change the league and repair that, however on the similar time, yeah, we’re at all times going to push and try for extra,” she mentioned. 

Within the weeks main as much as the tip of the season, Rodman has been making an attempt to work her approach again from an MCL sprain and be a presence for her group in her restricted minutes. She featured off the bench for the Spirit within the semifinal and was a menace on purpose even in a short time on the sector. As she appears forward to the ultimate, she’s simply looking for methods to close out the noise about her contract standing and deal with herself and her teammates.

“I feel prioritizing just a bit little bit of alone time, as a result of I feel it is necessary, if that is simply listening to music, studying a e-book, or, I do not know, simply hanging out, taking a nap, simply having that point for your self, I feel is necessary,” Rodman advised CBS Sports activities about managing the chaos round her. 

“Being on a group sport, you are at all times round them, as a lot as you’re keen on them. Generally it is like, ‘Okay, I have to breathe. I want to only reside within the second and be current.’ In order that’s necessary. After which additionally, managing time with household, boyfriend, no matter, after which additionally coming again. With the ability to have Ben [Shelton] right here this week has been wonderful for me.”

Rodman leaning on her professional tennis boyfriend is not new; the 2 have cut up time supporting one another at their respective sporting occasions. Sharing the highlight has been useful, particularly with choices looming on the horizon. 

“He is simply telling me that I am the driving force on this state of affairs, and in life, and that I management no matter I need, and yeah, God is nice,” she mentioned.

The Washington Spirit will face Gotham FC on Saturday for the 2025 NWSL Championship. Rodman final received the championship with the Spirit in 2021 throughout her rookie season. All eyes might be on her whether or not she begins or options off the bench, because it may very well be her closing sport within the NWSL if she decides to depart.