"I’m just like, ‘agh.’" – Trinity Rodman’s raw reaction to the stark reality of female athlete pay

Small wins go a long way. Be it sports, or life. But those wins should never dull the fight for the larger victory. The same is true for the fight for equal pay in women’s sports, which saw a victory when the USWNT secured its deal. It inspired athletes across sports to demand fair pay. However, Trinity Rodman, heart and breath of Washington Spirit and the USWNT, revealed that while progress is evident, there are still miles to go.




Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast, she shared her frustration over the vast pay gap between women in soccer and athletes in leagues like the NBA and NFL.

Trinity Rodman speaks on pay disparity

Rodman didn’t hold back when asked about being a female athlete. She said, “Even just being on media and it’s like obviously NBA, NFL makes way more money, has way more viewers—not taking that away, but seeing the contracts and looking at ours, I’m just like, ‘I’m so grateful to be making the money that I make right now at my age, but I look and I’m just like, ‘agh.’”




The contrast is stark. In the NBA, the average annual salary for the 2024-25 season is approximately $12 million. Meanwhile, the NWSL’s 2024 salary cap is $2.75 million. Such disparity highlights the economic divide between men’s and women’s sports. While leagues like the NFL and NBA enjoy massive viewership and sponsorship deals, women’s sports, particularly soccer, struggle to attract similar attention.

The recognition struggle in women’s sports

Rodman also addressed a less tangible but equally painful issue: recognition. She shared another experience from the Call Her Daddy podcast: “The recognition for one, I think, even just in conversation it’s like, ‘Oh, who do you play for?’ – Spirit – and they’re like, ‘What’s that?’ I’m like, ‘Ugh.’”




This disconnect between athletes and their audience highlights a problem that goes beyond. Despite numerous milestones and achievements, despite doing the unthinkable, and that too on the global stage, women’s soccer lacks the respect and visibility it deserves. The Washington Spirit forward was very clear in her take on how this impacts players mentally.

But the issue is not confined to soccer

Life, in general, deals women with difficult cards, every day. Be it sports, or any other profession. Across sports, women face hurdles in pay, recognition, and opportunities.




While men’s leagues are favored by media houses and enjoy widespread coverage, drawing crowds larger than aspirations, women’s sports often operate with fewer resources. Rodman’s comparison between her earnings and those in the NBA or NFL is in her own, unique way, a wake-up call about systemic inequality.

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