Spirit reach NWSL championship in Trinity Rodman's potential final home game in D.C.
- - Spirit reach NWSL championship in Trinity Rodman's potential final home game in D.C.
Jack Baer November 16, 2025 at 3:09 AM
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The Washington Spirit will play in the 2025 NWSL championship, which might also be Trinity Rodman's final game with the franchise.
Washington beat the Portland Thorns 2-0 on Saturday in the NWSL semifinal, with goals from Gift Monday (27') and Croix Bethune (83'). It was an all-around one-sided affair, with the Spirit posting eight shots on goal to three from the Thorn, plus a 16-10 shot advantage and 11-3 in corner kicks.
The first goal saw Monday and Rosemonde Kouassigo go coast-to-coast, with Kouassigo getting the assist.
LIGHTNING QUICK⚡️Rosemonde Kouassi goes COAST-TO-COAST and sets up Gift Monday for their FIFTH duo goal of 2025 pic.twitter.com/SfIA6CUuaS
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) November 15, 2025
Bethune got her goal on another breakaway, getting past Portland goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold for an easy dagger.
WHO ELSE BUT CROIX🤯 pic.twitter.com/JOHpIVCovC
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) November 15, 2025
Rodman appeared in the game as a late substitute after missing a month with a sprained MCL.
With the win, the Spirit advance to their fourth NWSL championship game and could become the first team in league history to win both the Challenge Cup and the NWSL championship in the same year. They will face the winner of Sunday's game between the Orlando Pride and Gotham FC next Saturday at PayPal Park in San Jose, California.
Washington reached the championship game last year only to lose 1-0 to the Pride, whom they got some measure of revenge against with a shootout win in the Challenge Cup.
All of that was the good for the Spirit, who ranked second in the NWSL this season with a 12-8-6 record despite the exit of coach Jonatan Giráldez. The bad is the potential departure of Rodman.
Is Trinity Rodman leaving the Spirit?
Rodman has been the face of the Spirit since the club drafted her in 2021 and has since become one of the faces of women's soccer. Her contract is up next month, though, and it was reported by ESPN later Saturday that she has multiple offers from European clubs, for far more money than the Spirit can offer.
The two sides are now reportedly at an impasse.
The problem for the Spirit is the NWSL's $3.5 million salary cap, which clubs in Europe don't have to abide by. Several notable names have already moved across the Atlantic — Naomi Girma, Alyssa Thompson, Crystal Dunn, Jenna Nighswonger — and the possibility of Rodman leaving is apparently real enough that her agent has spoken with NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman to figure out how the Spirit can compete with the overseas offers.
Trinity Rodman is one of the biggest names in women's soccer. She might be too expensive for a team in a league with a salary cap. (Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images) (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
The league released the following statement to ESPN about the salary cap:
"The salary cap, which has increased significantly in the past five years, is a critical part of our competitive framework and one of the reasons last weekend's quarterfinals were as great as they were. Anyone can win any day.
"The league is doing everything we can to keep Trinity in the NWSL. She's an excellent player and an important part of our league."
If Rodman does leave, a consolation for the Spirit is she played 15 of the Spirit's 26 regular-season matches this year due to a back injury, with only nine starts. And now they're about to play in the NWSL championship.
However, they were also undefeated in the 11 matches where she played at least 40 minutes (6-5-0), so there will definitely be celebrating if they manage to figure something out.
Source: “AOL Sports”
