It’s the best of times for the USWNT striker Trinity Rodman. Fresh off an Olympic gold win, Rodman resumes her NWSL action with the Washington Spirit on Sunday, while the team sits comfortably as its third seed. And what better time to return to the NWSL, as the top American league is prioritizing player welfare with its new Collective Bargaining Agreement? As the NWSL has agreed to its Players Association’s ground-breaking demands on player freedom, Rodman and her peers have lined up to celebrate their milestone feat.

Trinity Rodman and other big names in the NWSL shared a video about the new CBA on their Instagram feed. In it, we could see them proudly speaking about making the right demands at the right times to meet their goals. “Some said a CBA like this would never happen. #WeSaidNow,” Rodman captioned her post.

She added, “Draft eliminated. No trades without player consent. Guaranteed contracts. Revenue sharing. Workload management. Player freedom secured.”

Angel City FC star Alyssa Thompson celebrated the NWSLPA’s achievement by listing out the goals it achieved with the new CBA. This latest agreement is a result of the NWSL and the NWSLPA’s confidential negotiations, which started in 2023. The new CBA came into effect on July 11 and will be active through 2030.

Now, let’s see how the new CBA equips the NWSL to compete with its European counterparts and stand out among other major American sports leagues.

What does the new NWSL CBA mean to its players?

By removing the entry and expansion drafts, the NWSL becomes the first major American sports league to get rid of the draft system. This means players can choose whichever club they want. Likewise, clubs will have the freedom to scout the players of their preference. This ‘no draft’ policy is notably the norm in Europe and elsewhere. It is indeed a landmark move from the NWSL to abolish drafts when it faces increasing competition from Spain and England. Besides, players now also enjoy unrestricted free agency, as the new CBA kicks in.

Putting a smile on the faces of Trinity Rodman and others, the latest NWSL CBA ensures revenue sharing and increased salaries for players. The minimum wage for players will increase from $37,856 to $48,500 next year. Thereafter, this figure would double to $82,500 by 2030. There is no maximum salary limit, and clubs must spend shareable revenues on player compensation.

Hence, it is very much a milestone worth celebrating for Trinity Rodman and others. Based in the US, where women’s soccer is at its peak, the NWSL has already eclipsed its European counterparts. The American League had better Olympic representation than any major European league.

Now that the US-based competition has adopted similar policies to European leagues, the NWSL will truly become the Mecca of women’s soccer worldwide, if it isn’t already.