Midge Purce is calling out the NWSL's salary restrictions. She feels the problem isn't Rodman earning too much; it’s that the system may still be limiting what a player of her level should truly be worth.

Yesterday, in a clip shared on X, two-time NWSL champion spoke candidly with Front Office Sports during an episode of Portfolio Players about the league’s controversial new rule designed to reward star players.

“I hate it. I hate it so much. I think, maybe for different reasons than other people do. I actually said my issue with the rule was I think she's worth more than what that rule allows her to make,” Midge Purce said while looking disappointed.

In case you missed it, the controversial “Rodman Rule” was originally created to help keep Trinity Rodman in the NWSL as European clubs circled around the league’s biggest stars.

It was introduced in December despite major player backlash, allowing teams to exceed the salary cap by up to $1 million for select stars, while the players' association instead pushed for a simpler league-wide salary cap increase for every team.

And that's exactly why Purce believes the new system actually limits what stars like Trinity Rodman should be earning in an open market.

She also warned that the league could continue losing talent because of it, especially after players like Alyssa Thompson and Naomi Girma previously left for higher-paying opportunities in Europe.

“We’re celebrating, ‘Oh, she’s the highest paid player in the league,’ but I’m like, ‘No, you’re putting a cap on what this girl is actually worth and what she can actually make,’” Purce further added.

At the same time, Midge Purce also criticized the rule’s eligibility system, arguing that player salaries are now being influenced by media rankings, awards, and national team recognition, giving outlets like ESPN and The Guardian too much power in deciding a player’s value.

“That to me was what I found to be mind-boggling,” Purce said.

But interestingly, while Purce’s comments have now reignited debate around the rule, concerns about its implementation had already surfaced earlier from inside the women’s soccer world.

Kelley O'Hara Explains Why She Opposes Parts of the “Rodman Rule”

For months, rumors linked Trinity Rodman with a move to Europe before the 23-year-old finally signed a three-year extension with the Washington Spirit through the 2028 season.

Soon after, U.S. women’s soccer legend Kelley O'Hara addressed the league’s controversial High Impact Player rule, now widely nicknamed the “Rodman Rule,” during the Time Wasting podcast.

“As her friend, so happy that she re-signed for Spirit. Happy for myself, happy for the league. I was like, thank God she's staying, and we get to see her on the field,” O’Hara said back in March.

Still, despite praising Rodman’s impact, O’Hara admitted she disagreed with how the rule was implemented.

“Yes, the NWSL needed to do everything they possibly could to keep her here. However, I do disagree with this rule,” she said.

Regardless, Trinity Rodman’s new contract still made history, as the Washington Spirit star reportedly became the highest-paid women’s soccer player in the world with earnings exceeding $2 million annually, including bonuses, even while her boyfriend, Ben Shelton, reportedly holds a net worth between $6 million and $8 million.

Having said that, do you think the NWSL should have simply raised the salary cap for every team instead of creating a separate rule for elite players? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Sauramita Debbarma

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason