Playoff-bound Gotham inks Rose Lavelle contract extension using new NWSL rule

Gotham FC star Rose Lavelle is staying put. Lavelle signed a three-year contract extension with Gotham, tying the U.S.women’s national team star to the club through the 2029 season. News of Lavelle’s new deal broke earlier this month, and the club made it official Tuesday. While financial details of the deal weren’t disclosed, a league source told The Post that the club used the NWSL’s new High Impact Player (HIP) rule to accommodate Lavelle’s new salary on Gotham’s books. The HIP mechanism, instituted earlier this year to attract and keep star players in the NWSL, allows teams to use additional funds beyond the league’s hard salary cap to pay top players who reach certain benchmarks.In a statement, Gotham president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West called Lavelle “one of the best players in the world” and said she was “proud” of Lavelle’s commitment to the club.“She has an extraordinary ability to change games, and we’ve seen her deliver for this club in the biggest moments,” Averbuch West said.

“Just as importantly, Rose embodies the ambition and competitive standard we want at Gotham FC.We’re thrilled that she will continue to be such an important part of what we’re building.”Lavelle has become one of the faces of Gotham since arriving in 2024, bringing her world-class pedigree, creativity and big-game magic to a club that’s rapidly established itself among the NWSL’s elite.She was instrumental in Gotham’s 2025 championship run, scoring the decisive 80th-minute goal in the NWSL title match and taking home the game’s MVP honors. Lavelle, 31, was under contract through this year but speculation surrounded her future.

ESPN reported earlier this month that several teams made “aggressive” free-agent offers for Lavelle, who was named U.S.Soccer’s 2025 Female Player of the Year.Lavelle decided to return to Gotham anyway. “I’m incredibly happy to extend my time with Gotham FC,” Lavelle said in a sta...