Black History Month: Call her Trinity

A force has taken over the NWSL, and she is set to make an impact on the United States Women’s National Team for years to come. And, she’s done it all while creating a name for herself in the soccer world. In 2022, the soccer world is about to be owned by Trinity Rodman.

Trinity Rodman was born in 2002, and most people had her pegged for greatness because her father just happens to be NBA legend Dennis Rodman. However, Dennis was not a big part of Trinity’s life, so this star was created on her own. She grew up playing soccer in Southern California, winning 4 national championships with the SoCal Blues in her youth. During her time with that team, the team went undefeated for 5 years.

When she was set to commit to college, she received offers from colleges all around the country. She initially committed to play for the UCLA Bruins, but later changed her mind and decided to attend Washington State Cougars, where her older brother, DJ, played college basketball. However, she never had a chance to play a game for the Cougars, as the COVID pandemic canceled her freshman season.

Where Trinity started to earn her name was for the USWNT youth teams U-17s. At the 2018 U-17 Women’s World Cup, Trinity played 165 minutes in the USWNT U-17s’ 3 games, recording one assist. However, she broke out for the USWNT U-20s at the Concacaf Women’s U-20 championship in 2020, Trinity Rodman was on another level. She scored 9 goals in the tournament, helping the team to the title. She was later nominated for U.S. Soccer’s Young Female Player of the Year award.

With that success coupled with the cancellation of her freshman season at Washington State, Trinity decided to turn pro and declare for the 2021 NWSL Draft. She didn’t have to wait long to hear her name called. The Washington Spirit made her the 2nd overall pick in the NWSL Draft, becoming the youngest player ever drafted into the league.

Even after all that, Trinity still wasn’t getting the respect she deserved. Media still called her “Dennis’ daughter” or made references to their kinship whenever they spoke about her. Trinity just continued to grind and make sure people remembered her name. On April 10, 2021, Trinity made her professional debut for the Washington Spirit in the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, scoring a goal in the process.

And some of her goals were incredible! In 25 appearances for the Washington Spirit, she scored 7 goals and 7 assists, and just about all of them were bangers. Her play continued to heat up the scene, as she scored a goal late in the season and then was a force down the stretch as the Washington Spirit lifted the trophy as NWSL champions.

Trinity’s efforts did not go unnoticed by fans or the media. On November 17, 2021, she was named the NWSL Rookie of the Year. A month later, U.S. Soccer named her the Young Female Player of the Year. Just yesterday, Trinity set another record, agreeing to a 4-year deal with the Washington Spirit worth $1.1 million, the largest contract in league history.

Trinity is about to take her talents to the USWNT. She was named into the annual January Camp last month by USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski and looks to be a part of the USWNT for years to come. And when you see her work her magic for an incredible pass or a wicked goal, you know what to do…

Call her Trinity.

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For more Black History Month stories, check out our Black History Month hub. We will be bringing stories throughout the month to highlight some of the biggest moments in Black American and world soccer history.