NWSL reportedly rejects multi-million dollar contract for Rodman

The best way to wrap up the year.

Report: NWSL rejected multi-million Rodman contract proposal

The Washington Spirit’s quest to retain their biggest star has hit another snag, as multiple reports on Wednesday revealed that NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman vetoed a multi-million dollar contract proposal to keep Trinity Rodman in the NWSL.

• Per The Athletic, the offer included a four-year scaling contract that would see Rodman’s compensation grow in the final two years of the deal, in the hope that a new TV contract in 2028 would help with the cost.

• The reported annual average worth of the contract offer came to over $1 million, with Bloomberg reporting that Berman blocked the deal due to its structure violating the “spirit of the rules.”

Big picture: Per the current NWSL CBA, there is no set maximum contract for any individual player within the constraints of roster minimums, with the salary cap currently set to grow to $5.1 million by 2030.

• The NWSLPA has filed a grievance on Rodman’s behalf, with the assertion that the contract offer does not violate any standing league rules.

Amidst Rodman’s ongoing negotiations, the Spirit have shored up their front office with the announced hiring of former Orlando Pride VP of Soccer Operations Haley Carter as the team’s new President of Soccer Operations.

• “We’ll do everything that we can to work with the league on solutions that will allow us to retain players like Trinity,” Carter told The Athletic.

Texas takes on UNC in the ACC/SEC challenge

No. 2 Texas continues their ambitious non-conference schedule tonight, taking on No. 11 North Carolina as part of this week’s ongoing ACC-SEC Challenge.

• The game will mark the Longhorns’ third ranked matchup in four games, after Texas impressed with two Top 5 wins at the Players Era Championship last weekend.

• “We’re still a long way from a finished product,” head coach Vic Schaefer said after his team’s 81-63 win over Penn on Sunday, as the Longhorns manage the emotions of early season success.

Big picture: In its third year of competition, the two-day ACC/SEC Challenge features only three Top 25 women’s matchups this season, with Wednesday’s action giving the SEC a commanding lead between the two conferences.

• No. 9 Oklahoma took down NC State in overtime behind 33 points from touted freshman recruit Aaliyah Chavez, while No. 19 Tennessee survived an upset bid from Stanford 65-62.

• But things are heating up: in addition to the Longhorns hosting the Tar Heels, today’s games see No. 3 South Carolina take on No. 22 Louisville, while No. 13 Ole Miss plays No. 18 Notre Dame.

Big picture: The first ranked games of the night begin at 7 PM ET, with South Carolina vs. Louisville on ESPN, and Texas vs. UNC on ESPN2.

LSU faces first test of the season against Duke

After setting a new NCAA record of eight consecutive games with 100+ points scored, No. 5 LSU Tigers are set to face their first true test of the season tonight against preseason No. 7 Duke.

• "We don't play nobody in our non-conference schedule," senior guard Flau’jae Johnson told JWS in November. "From December on out, that's when it gets really [exciting]."

Big picture: Once again set up to compete for a title due to an impressive offseason in the transfer market, LSU will try to keep the streak alive against a Duke squad currently on a three-game losing streak.

• "Ballers just want to ball, like hoopers just want to hoop," Johnson said of LSU’s quick cohesion. "You find different ways to bond and gel with teammates."

• The Blue Devils will rely on leading scorer and rebounder Toby Fournier for a spark, with the sophomore forward averaging 15.8 points per game despite Duke’s 3-5 start.

Tune in: Duke hosts the Tigers at 9 PM ET tonight, live on ESPN.

Read more: LSU star Flau’jae Johnson on leadership, family, NIL deals, and WNBA dreams.

Report: WNBA CBA negotiations continue to hinge on revenue sharing

As WNBA CBA negotiations rage on, the wedge issue of revenue sharing has continued to garner attention from both sides, with the league office and the WNBPA differing on what terms have been offered.

•  The Athletic reported on Wednesday that the WNBA believes it has offered players the revenue-sharing salary model that they have pushed for, though the percentage is reportedly 50% of a portion of league revenues — resulting in less than 15% of the WNBA’s total earnings.

• The players’ revenue sharing percentage would take a further hit over the lifetime of a new CBA, based on multi-year earning projections.

Big picture: The league has also reportedly outlined other proposals, such as a new draft combine, the future of the core designation, rookie scale contracts, parental leave and more.

• The WNBA and the WNBPA will continue to meet as they near the second extension deadline of January 9th, 2026.

Coco Gauff tops highest-paid female athlete list for third year

US tennis star Coco Gauff continues to win off the court, as she’s topped Sportico’s Highest-Paid Female Athlete list for the third-consecutive year.

• Powered by $23 million in off-court endorsements, Gauff’s $31 million income edged out fellow tennis competitor Aryna Sabalenka’s $30 million total earned in 2025.

• Tennis players made up 10 of the list’s Top 15 earners, bolstered by total winnings that far outpace salaries in other women’s sports.

Sharing the wealth: Two golfers made the Top 15: US star Nelly Korda and World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul. They were joined by popular skier Eileen Gu, WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark, and gymnastics legend Simone Biles.

The NCAA volleyball tournament begins

College volleyball’s elite begin their quest for the national title today, as the 64-team NCAA volleyball tournament first round begins.

• Undefeated Nebraska is still chasing a perfect season, entering the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed alongside fellow No. 1 regional seeds Texas, Kentucky, and Pitt.

• 2024 champion Penn State could meet the Longhorns as soon as the second round, qualifying for this year’s competition as a No. 8 seed with a record of 18-12.

Big picture: The tournament begins at 16 regional host sites, leading to a neutral site Final Four in Kansas City starting on December 18th.

• Tune in: Catch all the action beginning at 3 PM ET today, live on ESPN+.

Quote of the day

New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud
responding to reports that the WNBA has eliminated team-supported housing from their most recent CBA proposal..