NWSL record-breaking deal
Maria Sanchez re-signs with Houston Dash in record-breaking $1.5 million deal as NWSL’s highest-paid player
On Monday, Maria Sanchez, a forward for the Houston Dash, signed a record-breaking deal to be the highest-paid player in the NWSL. Sanchez has been with the team since 2021. According to the Wall Street Journal, if Sanchez takes up the option year that would keep her in Houston through the 2027 season, she will earn almost $1.5 million over the next four years. This salary surpasses the $1.1 million deal that Trinity Rodman signed with the Washington Spirit in 2022.
Had options
Sanchez had the option to become a free agent this offseason but instead decided to stay with her team. This decision shows that the Houston Dash has a clear ambition, especially since the team underwent an ownership change in August 2022 when real estate tycoon Ted Segal acquired a majority stake in the Houston Dynamo, which is the Dash’s parent club. Despite frequently missing out on the playoffs, the NWSL side won the inaugural Challenge Cup in 2020 during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and made their first playoff appearance last year.
Maria Sánchez’s new deal with Houston Dash makes her the NWSL’s highest-paid player with a three-year, $1.5M contract (with an option for a 4th year), according to @jeffkassouf. 👏
The deal eclipses Trinity Rodman’s four-year, $1.1M contract. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/8KR0iuWlgl
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) December 18, 2023
Salaries Skyrocketing
Sanchez’s recent contract marks a significant change from what she earned during her first year in the NWSL in 2019 when the Chicago Red Stars drafted her. That year, she made $14,584, which was below the league’s minimum salary due to signing her contract after preseason. Sanchez’s journey to the top of the NWSL salary list was unconventional, as she did not play for a youth club because of her parent’s financial constraints and spent time in Liga MX to earn playing time before returning to the NWSL.
In addition, her contract indicates the league’s rapid financial transformation. Since the NWSL’s first collective bargaining agreement in 2022, minimum salaries have increased by approximately 60%, from $22,000 in 2021 to $35,000 in 2022. This year, the minimum salary slightly rose to $36,400 and is set to increase again to $37,856 in 2024. The league’s record investment in player salaries has also enabled some of its top players to sign record-breaking deals. For instance, Rodman signed her deal after biotech mogul Michele Kang took control of the Spirit, and Sanchez’s contract shows that the league continues to attract high-spending owners.
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