It looks like Trinity Rodman's free agency could be very impactful for the NWSL.
According to the league's Board of Governors, discussions are currently underway to implement a new roster mechanism that would allow teams to pay star players like Rodman significant salaries above the salary cap. ESPN. The proposal is said to be put to a vote and could be approved before next week's board meeting.
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If the measure passes, it would be a significant change in how the league deals with its most important players, driven almost entirely by the prospect Rodman leaves the Washington Spirit for a better deal with a top European club without a salary cap.
Spirit previously had a deal that Rodman was reportedly willing to accept, with an average annual value of over $1 million. but NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman vetoed it last week.arguing that it goes against the spirit of the rule book, which the league is currently in the process of changing.
The NWSL Players Association filed a grievance on Rodman's behalf regarding the decision.
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According to ESPN, the new mechanism will give each team a certain amount of money to spend on players who meet certain criteria, with the option of splitting it among multiple players. So, in essence, this is a second payroll that will be used for the stars. There have reportedly been daily discussions in recent weeks about which players should be eligible for the extra money. This criterion remains unclear.
This would be slightly different from the MLS “Designated Player Rule” under which the American men's major league decides matters such as Rodman. Under this system, teams can simply sign up to three players to contracts that fall outside the salary cap, which has facilitated major signings such as David Beckham, Lionel Messi and Heung-min Son.
However they feel about it, it's clear that the NWSL needs some way to compete with European clubs as the money in women's football gets bigger and bigger. Big names like Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson had already crossed the Atlantic, and Rodman seemed willing to join them as long as the Spirit was prohibited from paying her asking price.
There are still a lot of details unavailable at this time, but for now the news appears to be what Spirit fans have been hoping for, as well as any other fanbases with big-name players who might be headed to the East.
