Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang said her team will do whatever it can to keep star player Trinity Rodman in D.C.
During a press availability before the Spirit’s home opener Saturday evening, Kang said it was “very important” for the club and the National Women’s Soccer League to keep the U.S. women’s national team forward stateside.
“I think we’re going to do everything in our power to hopefully keep her here,” Kang said. “She’s an integral part of our success. Our success, meaning the Spirit as well as NWSL.”
Rodman is in the final year of a four-year contract extension worth $1.1 million. In an interview with ESPN in early March, Rodman said while she is focused on playing with Washington, she’s thought about playing overseas at some point in her career.
“I think I would kick myself if I retired and hadn’t done that,” Rodman said. “So it’s just a matter of when, I think. But yeah, just focused on this year and we’ll see what happens when the time is right.”
When asked about Rodman’s comments, Kang, who is entering her third year as Washington’s majority owner, called herself a “globalist” with her business affairs and said she can understand the forward’s desire of wanting to go abroad.
“The European players should actually go after some — at some point — go experience the American football or different football,” Kang said. “The same thing with the American football players as well. So I think experiencing different style, different leagues, it’s actually a good thing. So, we’ll see.”
Rodman became the youngest player to be drafted in NWSL history at the time when Washington selected her with the second overall pick in the 2021 College Draft.
Since then, Rodman, who is the daughter of former NBA star Dennis Rodman, has charted her own path into superstardom with her athleticism and playmaking abilities. She’s scored some 23 goals in 83 appearances for the Spirit.
Rodman won Rookie of the Year in 2021, the same year Washington won the NWSL Championship.
Her exploits in Washington led to call-ups for the U.S. women’s national team, including playing in the 2023 Women’s World Cup and winning a gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Rodman has been battling a nagging back injury since the end of the 2024 NWSL season, causing her to miss much of Washington’s preseason and the Challenge Cup on March 7. She played 24 minutes as a substitute during the Spirit’s regular season opener at Houston on March 14.
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