Another USWNT legend is hanging up her boots, as 2019 World Cup champion and 2024 Olympic gold medalist Crystal Dunn announced her retirement from professional soccer on Thursday.
"This decision has not come easily, but I am at peace and deeply fulfilled with all that I have accomplished," Dunn wrote in her Instagram retirement post. "I've achieved nearly everything I dreamed of in this sport and gave all I had to give. I'm ready to embrace the life that awaits me on the other side."
"I look forward to spending more time with my family and being a more present mom," she continued. "This was not a decision made lightly, but was one made with immense gratitude for everything I've experienced as a professional soccer player."
The 33-year-old won her two major trophies in her 160 caps with the USWNT as an outside back, though the breadth of her talents as a forward and midfielder saw Dunn pick up both the 2015 NWSL MVP and Golden Boot awards with her first pro club, the Washington Spirit.
Across her tenures with the North Carolina Courage and the Portland Thorns, Dunn also amassed three league championships (2018, 2019, 2022), and three NWSL Shields (2018, 2019, 2021).
Most recently competing in the NWSL for Gotham FC before capping her career with top-flight French club PSG, Dunn also retires as one of the USWNT's most prominent Black voices, with US Soccer calling her "a role model to many young players of color across the country who aspired to reach the highest levels of the game" in the federation's Thursday tribute.
"I've grown through challenges, celebrated incredible triumphs, and cherished every part of the journey," added Dunn.
Women's soccer clubs are shelling it out, as the 2025 Global Transfer Report from FIFA showed that women's pro team spending reached record highs last year.
Clubs spent a total of $28.6 million on a total of 2,440 international women's soccer transfers, marking a 6.3% year-over-year increase in the number of athletes, but a massive 83.6% bump in spending over 2024 — even without accounting for intra-league deals.
England led the pack on the 2025 FIFA Global Transfer Report, dropping $11 million in fees while taking in $2.1 million in sales, followed by the NWSL's $7.9 million spent.
Notably, US players were in the highest demand at 240 transfers — more than double the 108 British athletes comprising the nationality coming in second.
Reigning WSL champions Chelsea FC sit atop the spending list, racking up high-profile signings like USWNT stars Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson.
US billionaire Michele Kang's London City Lionesses trail the Blues at No. 2 in just their first WSL season following last spring's promotion, with the also-Kang-owned French side OL Lyonnes clocking in at No. 3 on the transfer fee list.
Six NWSL teams made the Top 10, led by the Orlando Pride at No. 4, Utah Royals at No. 5, and Washington Spirit at No. 6 — with the Spirit also falling into Kang's portfolio.
The NWSL is adding fan fashion to matchday this season, teaming up with Washington, DC-based design label Dead Dirt to launch an exclusive preseason collection of jerseys this week.
Dead Dirt dropped the colorful knit merch for all 16 NWSL franchises, with initial jersey inventories for multiple clubs — including incoming 2026 expansion teams Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC — selling out within hours of the Thursday night release.
Showcasing a collared, V-necked, rugby shirt aesthetic, each kit includes nods to the club's color and crest throughout the design.
Named the Spirit's first-ever creative director in March 2024, Dead Dirt founder Domo Wells dropped multiple collections with the Washington club over the last two seasons — from 2024's "New Growth" collection to 2025's "Cherry Blossom" and "Fast Track" capsules — before the NWSL tapped Wells to expand her design footprint league-wide.
"You have to truly understand the team's culture and region. That's why my first full season with the Washington Spirit mattered," Wells told The Cut last month. "That's when the conversation shifted from one team to the entire league."
Additionally, this week's launch is the first of many future NWSL collaborations, with Wells detailing a "layered" plan for cohesive league-wide drops "with the option for teams to go deeper if they want more."
As for what NWSL fans can expect from upcoming Dead Dirt collections, Wells sees her role as "reframing merch as storytelling."
"My goal [is] always to design pieces that live outside the stadium," she explained. "If it doesn't live in [a fan's] closet after game day, it's not worth the spend."
How to buy NWSL x Dead Dirt knit jerseys
The entire NWSL x Dead Dirt jersey collection is available online now at the NWSL Shop and the Dead Dirt store.
Trinity Rodman is officially staying in the NWSL, as the USWNT star announced a deal to return to the Washington Spirit in a high-profile press conference on Thursday night.
Signed through 2028, the 23-year-old forward's new contract is reportedly worth over $2 million per year, making her the world's highest-paid women's soccer player.
"I've made the DMV my home and the Spirit my family, and I knew this was where I wanted to enter the next chapter of my career," Rodman said in a club statement.
The Rodman deal marks a major win for both the Washington Spirit and the NWSL, as USWNT standouts like former Angel City forward Alyssa Thompson and ex-Portland Thorns midfielder Sam Coffey leave the US league to pursue opportunities overseas.
Notably, the deal utilizes the new "High Impact Player" (HIP) rule allowing clubs to exceed the NWSL salary cap for top talent. It results in more balanced terms than Washington's previous back-loaded offer, which the league rejected.
"[Trinity] represents the future of this club and the future of women's soccer," said Spirit owner Michele Kang. "This agreement reflects our belief that elite talent deserves elite commitment."
While the HIP rule is still under arbitration due to an NWSLPA grievance, Rodman's re-signing could be the light at the end of the NWSL's tunnel.
How to watch Trinity Rodman in this weekend's women's soccer lineup
Trinity Rodman will suit up for the USWNT tomorrow, facing Paraguay in the first of two January friendlies. The match kicks off at 5:30 PM ET, live on TNT.
USWNT manager Emma Hayes is eager to see star forward Trinity Rodman back on the pitch, as the 23-year-old forward returned to the national team roster for the first time since April this week.
"This week, I said we've missed you in many ways, most of all because she just brings a little bit of color," Hayes said on ESPN's Futbol W on Wednesday. "She's got a great personality and she injects that into the environment."
"I've given her some responsibility this week and I think it's good for her," Hayes continued. "And she wants that, she's ready to take the next steps in her career."
A lingering back injury compounded by a late-season MCL sprain saw Rodman's USWNT appearances severely limited in 2025.
The NWSL free agent also made headlines when this month's non-FIFA window US training camp roster dropped, with Rodman listed as "unattached" as she negotiates a new contract with the Washington Spirit.
"I think the thing for her this year is she's got to take responsibility, not just on the field but off the field," Hayes said of Rodman's recovery. "It's all about the other 22 hours, and what you do with that. If she can nail that, then I expect her to continue to thrive."
How to watch Rodman with the USWNT this week
The world No. 2 USWNT will take on No. 46 Paraguay in the team's first 2026 friendly on Saturday.
The clash will kick off live at 5:30 PM ET on TNT.
Orlando has landed a new front office leader, as the Pride announced on Tuesday that they've hired former Kansas City Current GM Caitlin Carducci as the Florida NWSL club's new VP of soccer operations and GM.
"Caitlin is a proven leader whose experience across every level of women's soccer and history of building championship-caliber rosters set her apart," said Pride owner and chairman Mark Wilf in the team's Tuesday statement. "She emerged as the clear choice in our search with her deep expertise, strong reputation, and a vision that aligns with our culture."
Carducci, whose resume also boasts roles developing the women's game at both the NWSL's headquarters and for US Soccer, stepped away from the Current after two seasons, departing after Kansas City's historic 2025 Shield-winning run.
She replaces outgoing VP of soccer operations and sporting director Haley Carter, who left the Pride in November prior to becoming the new president of soccer operations for the Washington Spirit.
Rather than instigating significant changes, Carducci plans to bolster the recent accomplishments of the 2024 Shield and championship-winning Orlando Pride with a goal of creating ongoing success for the club.
"The chance to work with the Wilf family, whose leadership and investment reflect their commitment to a world‑class organization, along with a championship‑level roster and technical staff, made this an easy decision," said Carducci. "I'm eager to begin this next chapter, strengthen the inclusive and ambitious culture that defines this club, and help push the Pride toward new heights."
The NWSL has made a decision, as the league officially moves forward with its new "High Impact Player" rule despite stated opposition from the players union.
Announced last week, the rule change allows clubs to exceed to the NWSL salary cap by up to $1 million to attract or retain players that meet one of eight qualifying metrics set by the league.
Those metrics include major media award rankings like the 30-player Ballon d'Or shortlist and ESPN FC's Top 50 Football Players, as well as marketing power, top USWNT minutes, and end-of-year NWSL awards.
Developed with Washington Spirit superstar — and current free agent — Trinity Rodman and her potential contract in mind, the "High Impact Player" rule will not go into effect until July 1st, 2026.
Meanwhile, the NWSLPA has spoken out against the mechanism, proposing instead to up the salary cap by $1 million without league-imposed spending regulations.
"Under federal labor law, changes to compensation under the salary cap are a mandatory subject of bargaining — not a matter of unilateral discretion," the union wrote on Wednesday.
Additionally, per The Athletic, NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke expressed concerns that the rule ties top athlete pay, in part, to player valuations in third party publications — a move that externally defines who a club can consider "high impact."
Led by six Kansas City athletes and five from Gotham FC, just 27 current NWSL players across 10 of the 16 clubs in the expanded 2026 season meet the new HIP qualifying criteria — though all teams could use the mechanism to attract a new athlete to the league.
In a growing global market, the NWSL could be falling into a trap of half-measures, as the union pushes back with league parity potentially on the line.
USWNT star Sophia Wilson is returning to Portland, with Sportico reporting on Tuesday that the 25-year-old is exercising her one-year player option with the Thorns — keeping her in the NWSL through the 2026 season.
Written into the striker's 2024 contract with Portland, the option is worth $1 million, officially making Wilson the US domestic league's highest-paid player.
The 2022 NWSL MVP missed the 2025 NWSL campaign due to pregnancy, but plans to return next season after giving birth to her daughter in September.
Notably, Wilson's re-signing comes as the NWSL reckons with salary cap limitations, and follows the league recently rejecting the Washington Spirit's multi-million dollar offer to retain fellow USWNT "Triple Espresso" star Trinity Rodman.
While ESPN reported last week that the NWSL Board of Governors is considering adopting a "High Impact Player" rule to allow teams to exceed the salary cap, the league has yet to officially announce any such new mechanism — and it isn't clear if Wilson's one-year deal qualifies for the potential change.
Considering the current NWSL base salary cap is $3.5 million, but will jump to $4.4 million in 2027 — the same year Wilson will become a free agent — the Thorns star could see her next contract surpass this week's record-setting deal.
The Washington Spirit are one step closer to securing Trinity Rodman, with ESPN reporting late Thursday that the NWSL Board of Governors approved a new "High Impact Player" roster mechanism which will allow teams to exceed the current salary cap in order to retain stars.
Designed for use on players crucial to a team's competitive and commercial bottom line, the rule would permit clubs to spend up to $1 million over the cap with a limited hit.
The change will still need approval from the NWSL Players Association, with the union maintaining the ability to negotiate any deviations from the league's compensation structure under the current CBA.
The 11th-hour move could help the Spirit put together a more lucrative contract to re-sign USWNT forward Trinity Rodman, though the team's previous offer remains under arbitration after the league office vetoed the deal.
The new roster mechanism will likely come with individual restrictions, with sources telling ESPN that the NWSL "refined and updated" the "exact qualifications for players eligible for the new funds" prior to Thursday's board approval.
Notably, this is not the first time the league has made such a move to blur the salary cap line in order to keep star talent on its rosters.
The NWSL made similar salary cap concessions in 2020, introducing extra allocation money for certain top-line players before deciding to discontinue the rule by the end of 2026.
While the NWSL remains committed to the established salary cap, the league is also coming up with loopholes to compete in the growing global market — but only the future can tell whether the move is too little, too late to keep Rodman in DC.
The Washington Spirit are all in on forward Trinity Rodman, with club GM Nathan Minion telling reporters that the 2025 NWSL runners-up are working "pretty much daily" to re-sign the free agent despite salary cap concerns.
"I think everyone's trying to work together to get a deal in place," said Minion, acknowledging that the NWSL and the Spirit are actively working with each other to retain the 23-year-old star. "[We're] trying to figure this out and trying to get a resolution that can hopefully keep Trinity here with us for a long time."
"The reality is our current salary cap structure — it was built for a different era of women's soccer," said the DC club's recently hired president of soccer operations Haley Carter. "We're going to need mechanisms that allow NWSL clubs to compete for not only players from overseas, but our own players."
The NWSL vetoed the multi-million dollar offer from the Washington Spirit to keep Rodman last week, with the NWSLPA subsequently filing a grievance claiming the league violated the USWNT attacker's free agency rights by blocking the deal.
"These are nuanced conversations, and I would love to just toss the salary cap out the window and pay the players," said Carter. "But we also have to appreciate that, pragmatically, it isn't always payroll that's going to keep our athletes here. It's investment in other things as well."
"We are going to have to start getting creative, I believe, because it's bigger than just one team," continued Carter. "It's bigger than just one player. It's about the league's ability to keep its best players in this league as we continue to grow."