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Forward Trinity Rodman’s new three-year deal to remain with the Washington Spirit has brought to an end months of speculation about the Olympic gold medallist’s future in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). It has also shattered the wage record for a female footballer.

The Spirit announced the signing in a statement on Thursday evening, calling it “one of the most significant contracts in the NWSL and the women’s game worldwide, reflecting both Rodman’s elite status and the Spirit’s role as a global standard-bearer in women’s football”.

The deal has not been without controversy, though. The furore over Rodman’s future with the Spirit spurred criticism of the NWSL salary cap and whether it hampered the league from attracting and maintaining top players.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the deal that split the sport in the United States, but has now set a new bar for women’s football across the world.

The 23-year-old Rodman became a free agent at the end of last season after five years with the Spirit. One of the biggest stars in the NWSL, keeping her in the league was considered vitally important as other US national team stars, including Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson, opted to play in Europe.

As the failure to agree to a new deal dragged on last year, with her previous contract ending on December 31, Rodman, too, drew interest from European teams that don’t have a salary cap. Months of speculation ensued, in particular that teams from England were heading the list of suitors on the continent who were prepared to step in and meet her wage demands.

What is the value of Rodman’s new Washington Spirit deal?

The financial terms of Rodman’s contract were not disclosed.

It is understood, however, that Rodman’s deal is worth more than $2m annually, including bonuses.

“Trinity is a generational player, but more importantly, she represents the future of this club and the future of women’s soccer,” Spirit owner Michele Kang said. “This agreement reflects our belief that elite talent deserves elite commitment.”

How did Rodman’s deal first court controversy in the NWSL?

The Spirit and Rodman had previously struck a multi-year deal that both parties maintained was in compliance with the salary cap, but it was rejected by the league.

The NWSL’s salary cap is $3.5m for each team for the 2026 season, which brought Rodman’s salary sharply into the spotlight and remains an awkward sum, although the cap will increase each year until it hits $5.1m in 2030.

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman, who vetoed the deal at the time, reportedly believed it violated the “spirit” of league salary rules.

With the initial rejection, the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association filed a grievance claiming that the NWSL’s rejection of the contract violated Rodman’s free agency rights and violated the collective bargaining agreement.

How was Rodman’s deal resolved with the NWSL?

To address the salary cap issue, the NWSL in late December adopted a “High Impact Player” mechanism that allowed teams to spend up to $1m over the cap to sign players that meet certain criteria. Those included metrics like national team minutes, inclusion among the 30 candidates for the Ballon d’Or or player rankings by outlets like The Guardian or ESPN.

The NWSLPA filed a grievance over the rule, claiming it violated the collective bargaining agreement and federal labour law because player compensation must be negotiated. The NWSLPA maintains the league had no authority to “unilaterally create a new pay structure”.

Spirit President of Soccer Operations Haley Carter said the High Impact Player rule figured into the contract Rodman ultimately agreed to. Carter also said the grievances would not alter Rodman’s deal.

What have Rodman and Washington Spirit said about the deal?

“I think I’ve always had a vision and an idea of what I wanted my legacy to be,” Rodman said at Thursday evening’s event in Los Angeles to announce her new deal. “And for me, we’re doing that and I’m so grateful for that.”

For Washington Spirit, losing Rodman was an unpalatable scenario.

“I can’t think of the Washington Spirit without her,” Spirit owner Michele Kang said of the new deal. “And I hope she can’t think about her career without the Washington Spirit. So this is really monumental and it was really important, not only for the Spirit, especially for our fans who expect to see her. They come to Audi Field and that’s where Rowdy Audi clearly came out.”

Was a move away from the NWSL a real possibility for Rodman?

“Making my decision, the one question I was asked was: ‘Do you feel like you’re finished with the Spirit? Can you say that and feel confident leaving?’” Rodman said.

“I didn’t even need half a second, and I was like, ‘No, I’m not. I don’t feel ready to make a different decision.’ That’s just, again, getting drafted here and developing and maturing and learning – and failing – at the Spirit, in DC, it’s become so much of my legacy and my story. But on top of that, I still feel like there’s so much more I have to give and so much more that I want to do.”

Is Trinity Rodman the daughter of NBA legend Dennis?

Yes. Rodman, whose Olympic gold was secured with the United States at the Paris Games in 2024, is the daughter of former NBA star Dennis Rodman.

She was drafted at the age of 18 in 2021 and earned Rookie of the Year honours as the Spirit won their first NWSL title.

Rodman has since won 47 appearances and 11 goals with the US national team, more than any other player on the latest roster. She only played in one US match last year, a 2-0 victory over Brazil in April, because of injuries.

Rodman is currently with the national team in their annual January training camp in Carson, California. The team plays a match there against Paraguay on Saturday and then plays Chile on Tuesday in Santa Barbara.

Tyrese Maxey scored 36 points, including clutch plays late in regulation and at the end ‌of overtime, lifting the Philadelphia 76ers to a 128-122 home win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

Maxey added 10 assists for Philadelphia, while Joel Embiid put up some impressive stats of his ‍own with 32 points, 15 rebounds and ‍10 assists. Kelly Oubre Jr chipped in 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting for the Sixers.

Kevin Durant spurred Houston’s offence with 36 points, although he also committed eight of the team’s 17 turnovers. Amen Thompson pitched in with 17 points and nine assists for the Rockets, who had their three-game winning streak halted.

Houston led 107-101 before Maxey scored 11 points in the final four minutes of regulation to draw Philadelphia even at 115-115, with 40.1 seconds left.

Nuggets 107, Wizards 97

Peyton Watson scored a career-high 35 points to go along with eight rebounds, leading ⁠visiting Denver to a victory over Washington.

Watson made 10 of 16 shots from the floor – including 6 of 8 from 3-point range – and added four blocks. Denver’s Jamal Murray scored 24 points, and Jonas Valanciunas added ​16 to go along with nine rebounds in his return from an 11-game absence due to a right calf strain.

Kyshawn George collected 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven ‍assists, and rookie Tre Johnson scored 19 points for the reeling Wizards, who have lost eight in a row.

Mavericks 123, Warriors 115

Naji Marshall posted 30 points and nine assists as Dallas extended its winning streak to four with a victory over visiting Golden State.

Cooper Flagg paired 21 points with 11 rebounds, Max Christie added 21 – including 5-of-12 shooting from deep – and Brandon Williams had 19 off the bench.

Stephen Curry scored 38 points, shooting 8-of-15 from 3-point range, while De’Anthony Melton contributed 22 for the ‍Warriors, who lost Jonathan Kuminga with ⁠3:52 remaining in the second quarter with left knee soreness, when he landed awkwardly on a dunk attempt.

Trail Blazers 127, Heat 110

Shaedon Sharpe scored 24 of his 27 points in the second half to help Portland post a victory over visiting Miami.

Caleb Love scored 20 points off the bench as the Trail Blazers won their fourth consecutive game and moved above .500. Portland standout Deni Avdija had 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 17-plus minutes before exiting with back soreness early in the third quarter. Avdija recently returned from a three-game absence due to lower-back issues.

Bam Adebayo had 32 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, who are 1-2 on a five-game road trip. Miami’s Norman Powell had 18 points but missed all seven of his 3-point attempts, Simone Fontecchio scored 17 points off the bench, and Andrew Wiggins had 14 for the Heat.

Clippers 112, Lakers 104

Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points, Ivica Zubac added 18 points with 19 rebounds, and the ​Los Angeles Clippers continued their red-hot run with a victory over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers at Inglewood, California.

James Harden scored 18 points with 10 assists, ‌Jordan Miller had 14 points, and John Collins added 13 as the Clippers improved to 14-3 since December 20, in a run that started with a home victory against the Lakers.

Luka Doncic scored 32 points with 11 rebounds and eight assists, while LeBron James added 23 points as the Lakers dropped to 3-6 since January 7. Rui Hachimura scored 12 points for the Lakers, who are 1-1 to start an eight-game road trip.

Spurs 126, Jazz 109

De’Aaron Fox hit four 3-pointers in the fourth ‌quarter and had a game-high 31 points as San Antonio overcame a triple-double by Jusuf Nurkic and defeated Utah in Salt Lake City.

Ace Bailey, a rookie out of Rutgers, had a career-high 25 points for Utah, while Nurkic posted 17 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds. Nurkic became the first player in franchise history ‌with consecutive triple-doubles since Pete Maravich with the New Orleans Jazz in 1975.

Victor Wembanyama had 26 points and 14 rebounds for ⁠the Spurs, who have won four of five and hold the second-best record in the Western Conference. Utah has lost five of its last six.

Bulls 120, Timberwolves 115

Coby White scored a team-high 22 points, and Chicago finished with a 9-0 run to post a victory over Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Josh Giddey added 21 points after missing the last 11 games with a left hamstring strain. Jalen Smith scored 17 points, and Matas Buzelis and Tre Jones each had 12. Isaac Okoro and Nikola Vucevic finished with 10 points apiece for ‌the Bulls, who have won four of their last five.

Julius Randle’s 30 points paced Minnesota, while Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid scored 20 apiece. Jaden McDaniels chipped in 16 points for the Timberwolves, who dropped their fourth straight game. Rudy Gobert collected 10 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.

Hornets 124, Magic 97

Brandon Miller scored 20 points to lead eight players in double figures as visiting Charlotte beat Orlando.

Collin Sexton had ‍19 points, LaMelo Ball added 16 and Kon Knueppel had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets, who led by as many as 33 and shot 54.4% from the field and 47.2% (17 of 36) from 3-point range.

Paolo Banchero scored 23 points, and Desmond Bane added 21 to lead the Magic, who took a 3-0 lead on a Bane 3-pointer and never led again. Moritz Wagner had 14 points, ‌Noah Penda scored 13, and Jett Howard had 10.

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff took a rocky path to the fourth round of the Australian Open on ‍Friday, but Carlos Alcaraz’s road was ‍paved with gold in his 100th Grand Slam match.

A day after 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka led a parade of yesterday’s heroes into the third round, the TikTok generation had their moment in the Melbourne Park sun.

American 18-year-old Iva Jovic knocked out seventh seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2 7-6(3) while Canadian 19-year-old Victoria Mboko beat 14th seed Clara Tauson to book a last-16 blockbuster against twice-champion Sabalenka, a 7-6(4) 7-6(7) winner against Anastasia ⁠Potapova.

Alcaraz produced a highlight-reel 6-2 6-4 6-1 demolition of French drop-shot merchant Corentin Moutet before 21-year-old Gauff recovered from losing her first set of the tournament to ​overhaul fellow American Hailey Baptiste 3-6 6-0 6-3.

Chasing a first title at Melbourne Park, 22-year-old Alcaraz is bidding to become the youngest ‍man to win all four majors and has appeared unstoppable in the first week.

In the second match at Rod Laver Arena, he won what might end up as the rally of the tournament against the flamboyant Moutet, chasing down a lob with a tweener then threading a passing shot down the line.

The 32nd seed Moutet is no slouch but he was reduced to the ‍fall guy in Alcaraz’s ⁠magic show, becoming the 14th victim in the Spaniard’s unbeaten run against left-handers.

Despite the ease of the win, chasing down Moutet’s drop shots became a chore, Alcaraz joked.

“I thought we were in a drop-shot competition – but definitely he won,” he said.

Sabalenka is the favourite to win the women’s title but had a torrid time at Rod Laver Arena against Russia-born world number 55 Potapova, who represented her adopted nation Austria, with distinction on centre court.

Potapova had four set points in the second frame but lost them all, while Sabalenka claimed the win on her first match point.

It extended her incredible unbeaten record in tiebreaks to 21, having won 19 in succession last season.

“I know that every ball is important in the tiebreak. You ​cannot lose your focus for a second because it’s gone, like, really quickly,” Sabalenka told reporters.

“So you have to be ‌there 100 percent. That’s my approach. I just take it one point at a time.”

Three-time men’s finalist Daniil Medvedev was another gathering confidence after a tense win.

He became the first player to win from two sets down at this tournament against Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan, winning 6-7(5) 4-6 7-5 6-0 6-3 in the early match at Margaret Court Arena.

Medvedev will have revenge on his mind when ‌he plays Learner Tien for a place in the quarterfinals, having been knocked out by the young American in the second round last year.

Mboko, one of the brightest young talents in women’s tennis, reached the fourth round ‌in her Australian Open main draw debut, beating Tauson 7-5 5-7 6-3.

But it was the end ⁠of Turkish delight at Melbourne Park as wily Kazakh Yulia Putintseva ended Zeynep Sonmez’s run in a tight three-setter.

Melbourne’s strong Turkish community was out in force in support of world number 112 Sonmez, decorating Kia Arena with red flags, but Putintseva gleefully taunted them after completing victory, blowing kisses and dancing near her seat.

“What can I do? It’s just some people have education of tennis and, unfortunately, ‌some of them not,” she told reporters, accusing rowdy Sonmez fans of trying to put her off her serve.

Tommy Paul, the 19th seed, had a smooth path into the fourth round when Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina retired injured when trailing 6-1 6-1 but next faces the brick wall of Alcaraz.

Czech 19th seed Karolina Muchova thrashed ‍Poland’s Magda Linette 6-1 6-1 to book a last-16 matchup with Gauff.

Australia’s great hope Alex de Minaur, the sixth seed, meets American Frances Tiafoe in the prime-time evening slot at Rod Laver Arena, while third seed Alex Zverev faces British danger man Cameron Norrie in the night match at John Cain Arena.

Senegal coach Pape Thiaw has defended his team’s walk-off during the Africa Cup of Nations final, saying it was an emotional decision taken in the chaos of the moment.

Last Sunday, Senegal left the field in stoppage time when Morocco was awarded a penalty, just moments after a potential trophy-winning Senegal goal was ruled out.

“It was never my intention to go against the principles of the game I love so much,” Thiaw wrote on Instagram on Thursday. “I simply tried to protect my players from injustice. What some may perceive as a violation of the rules is nothing more than an emotional reaction to the bias of the situation. After deliberation, we decided to resume the match and go for the trophy.”

Sadio Mane persuaded the Senegal players back so Brahim Díaz could take Morocco’s penalty. Díaz’s effort was saved in the last action of normal time, then Pape Guaye scored in extra time for Senegal to win 1-0.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino slammed Senegal’s walk-off the next day, and the Moroccan Football Federation said it was pursuing legal action with FIFA and the Confederation of African Football because it “significantly impacted the normal flow of the match and the players’ performance”.

The decision to award the penalty led to fights around the field with rival players involved on the sideline while stewards battled with Senegalese behind one of the goals. Some fans managed to get onto the field where the fighting continued, and some were dragged away.

The Senegal walk-off ultimately led to a 15-minute stop in play, but there was still fighting ongoing when Brahim took his unsuccessful sport kick.

“We experienced an exceptional tournament with magnificent organisation, which ended unfortunately in a dramatic fashion,” Thiaw said.

The Senegalese Football Federation decried a lack of “fair play” from the Moroccan hosts before the final, adding to the Teranga Lions’ sense of injustice when their late goal was ruled out and the penalty was awarded against them.

“I apologise if I have offended anyone,” Thiaw said of his team’s walk-off, “but football lovers will understand that emotion is an integral part of this sport.”

Liverpool have overtaken Manchester United for the first time as the Premier League’s biggest-financial earners, but Real Madrid remained top performers in world football during the 2024-25 season, according to an annual financial list.

The Spanish club topped Deloitte’s Football Money League, published on Thursday, with ⁠1.16 billion euros ($1.36bn) of revenue despite not winning either La Liga or the Champions League. The only club to make more ​than $1bn in the past two seasons, Real Madrid benefitted in 2024-25 from a whopping 23 percent rise ‍in commercial revenue – driven by merchandise and corporate partners – to 594 million euros ($696.6m), the Deloitte figures showed.

Perennial rivals and reigning La Liga champions Barcelona were the second highest earners with 975 million euros ($1.14m), back in the top three for the first time in five years.

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich ranked third with 861 million euros ($1.09bn), ⁠ahead of Champions League winners Paris St-Germain on 837 million euros ($981.5m).

Liverpool’s fifth place in the global money list, with 836 million euros ($980.4m) of revenues from the season they won the Premier League, was the strongest performance of any English club in the 29-year history of the rankings.

Manchester City dropped to sixth with 829 million euros ($721.3m), followed by this season’s Premier League leaders Arsenal on 822 million ($1.1bn).

Manchester United’s demise

Manchester United, who finished a lowly 15th in the Premier League last season, fell from fourth to eighth in revenues with 793 million euros ($929.7m) – their lowest-ever position in the Money ​League that they have topped 10 times in the past.

Deloitte noted that United’s revenue outlook ‌for the current season will worsen due to their absence from European competition and early exits from the FA Cup and League Cup.

“If you went back 10 or 15 years, Manchester United’s matchday revenue was the industry leader,” said Tim Bridge, lead partner at Deloitte’s Sports Business Group.

“Their ability to generate ‌commercial revenue was the benchmark for the market. I don’t think that remains the case.”

Six Premier League sides made the global top 10, with Tottenham ninth on 673 million euros ($789.1m) and Chelsea ‌10th on 584 million euros ($684.8m).

Overall, revenue for the top 20 clubs rose 11 percent to ⁠a record 12.4 billion euros ($14.5bn). Commercial income increased to 5.3 billion euros ($6.2bn), driven by expanded stadium usage on non-matchdays, rising sponsorship deals and improved retail operations.

Matchday revenue grew the fastest, up 16 percent to 2.4 billion euros ($2.8bn), while broadcast revenue rose 10 percent, helped by the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in the United States ‌last year.

Deloitte said the rise of some Saudi Pro League clubs and Inter Miami from Major League Soccer could challenge the financial hegemony of Europe’s major sides in the future.

“Squads filled with star players have had a major impact on the global ‍profile of clubs and both leagues,” it said.

“For the MLS in particular, capitalising on this opportunity following the 2026 FIFA World Cup could be the key to unlocking a new market of football fans in the United States.”