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The National Women's Soccer League's 2021 Rookie of the Year, 19-year-old Trinity Rodman, will become the highest-paid player in league history after she signed a contract extension with Washington Spirit on Wednesday, the club announced. The four-year deal is reported to be worth $1.1 million, according to Sportico. Rodman, the daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman and the youngest player to be drafted into the NWSL in league history, will extend her deal with the NWSL Championship-winning club through the 2024 season with an option for 2025. - ESPN+: NWSL chat and more on ESPN FC Daily (U.S. only) "We're incredibly excited to have Trin as a part of the Spirit family for at least the next three seasons," Spirit coach Kris Ward said. "She has a truly special career ahead of her and makes us a better club on all fronts." According to the Washington Post, Rodman joined the league last year on a three-year deal that averaged $42,000 in base salary, plus housing and bonuses. It was on par with what others in the NWSL were receiving. Octagon Soccer, Rodman's agency, confirmed her salary as the league record. The Spirit were able to pay Rodman above the league's maximum salary by using allocation money, which is a spending allowance beyond salary limits and team budget caps. Following this week's ratification of the league's first collective bargaining agreement, the NWSL maximum salary was upped to $75,000, a 43% increase, while the minimum salary was increased to $35,000. Rodman will make a $281,000 base salary annually, which according to Sportico is more than Alex Morgan's and Megan Rapinoe's NWSL salaries of $250,000 each. Despite Rodman leading the Spirit to the NWSL title last season, the club has been embroiled in offseason controversy. The club's coach, Richie Burke, was suspended by the league in August after player complaints of abusive behavior. More recently, two of the club's investors have been locked into a power struggle over ownership of the club. The players have asked majority owner Steve Baldwin to sell his shares to investor Y. Michele Kang, but the issue remains unresolved. Rodman accepted her first USWNT call-up in late January. She has nine career U20 international goals in just seven caps and likely would have played in the 2020 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup had it not been canceled because of the pandemic. "She was one of the most exciting players in the league this past season, and she proved that she can be impactful at the professional level in NWSL," USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski said of Rodman. The USWNT roster for the SheBelieves Cup on Feb. 17-23 will be announced on Thursday.
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