Whenever we come across Trinity Rodman‘s name, it’s not only about her exceptional soccer goals, smart passes, bang-on celebration, and being the daughter of Dennis Rodman, but it’s also about her skills of turning heads and making headlines. The 22-year-old soccer prodigy has been in the NWSL since she was drafted in the 2021 season. And now, as her name and career are taking turns, Trinity has dropped a major update.

This update not only impacts her individual career graph but also that of the United States’ soccer world. As the NWSL’s latest seasons are set to kick off on Friday, Trinity Rodman has not left a single stone unturned to keep her fans on their toes. The debate begins with her career in the NWSL and whether she will continue next year or not. But do you know how this conversation started? The devil is in the details when it comes to Rodman.

Will Trinity Rodman leave NWSL?

If you are wondering the same, Trinity herself has given a crystal clear answer to this. When she was chatting away with ESPN’s Futbol W, Rodman dropped nukes on the NWSL, saying, “I’ve always thought about playing overseas at some point in my career.” The 22-year-old forward also added, “I think I would kick myself if I retired and hadn’t done that. So it’s just a matter of when I think.” And while talking about when she will move abroad, the Washington Spirit and USWNT star confessed, “But yeah, just focus on this year, and we’ll see what happens when the time is right.” 

On January 23 this year, soccer reporter Tom Bogert revealed that Rodman is in her year of contract, and many soccer franchises are monitoring her stance and situation. He also mentioned the teams she has been contemplating on from the European league, saying, “USWNT superstar Trinity Rodman is in the final year of her contract with the Washington Spirit, and I’m told Chelsea and Arsenal are among the many clubs monitoring the situation.” This confirms that at some point, Trinity Rodman will also leave NWSL, following in Naomi Girma‘s footsteps.

Naomi Girma’s record-breaking massive $1.1 million move to Chelsea from the San Diego Wave shocked everyone last month. Per ESPN, Girma’s transfer to London was the most expensive transfer in the history of women’s soccer. Talking about her, Trinity said, “Naomi has just been outstanding for years… It’s not like this just happened. So I’m so proud of her, and I’m so happy.” She also added that she is excited to witness where this takes Girma and how she grows.

But these moves by star soccer players underscore something important, an underlying common pattern. These departures to the European league raises questions on NWSL’s ability to retain their star players. 

Why are NWSL players leaving for Europe? 

It’s always alluring to see female soccer players in the NWSL make moves from one team to another until they go beyond the national league. Alongside star defender Girma, Jenna Nighswonger, Kerolin, and Crystal Dunn are the top names who wanted to move to Europe. This triggers one of the most important questions: Why are players of the NWSL leaving?

The USWNT icons Christen Press and Tobin Heath have figured out the fundamental problem in the NWSL. “Chelsea is on a little bit of a spending spree,” Tobin Heath said while speaking about the mounting concern for NWSL. She also added, “They’re in a little bit of retail therapy, buying all the players they can. But, it brings up some of the, I guess, hurdles of the NWSL.” Along with this, NWSL’s strict salary cap is the main reason young female soccer players like Trinity Rodman also want to leave.

“Overall, the problem exists, folks, because of the salary cap that is in the NWSL currently. Over in Europe, that does not exist. There is no salary cap in the WSL,” the former Seattle Reign star player, Heath, explained. And added one of the most important takes: “The difference is so gross that it makes it almost not worthy of a daily discussion as to why players are going to the UK.” And we don’t need to over-explain this, but we certainly need to think about it. It’s not the players at the root of this commitment phobic club hopping trend in the NWSL. It’s the scope of growth and exposure that needs to be reevaluated. Do you agree with us on this? If so, drop a comment below!