Almost a month after shining in the Paris Olympics, Trinity Rodman has fallen out of the limelight. The Washington Spirit forward sustained an unfortunate back injury during last week’s NWSL action against KC Current, forcing her to leave the pitch in a wheelchair. Though that won’t stop the Spirit from keeping their head up in Rodman’s absence, Ali Krieger thinks otherwise.

Even after breaking the league record, the USWNT icon believes they stand little chance without the recent Olympic gold medalist in the lineup. In the latest episode of ESPN FC’s The Futbol W, when asked if Washington could make a deep run in her absence, Krieger responded, “I don’t think so because she is the engine of the team.”

“Even though she plays out wide, she’s always creating in the attack. She’s consistent in every opportunity, a goal score, a huge threat. Not many teams can figure out how to stop her. They could fill the hole but it’s definitely not going to be good enough,” added the former defender, acknowledging that it would be difficult for Jonatan Giráldez’s side to survive in the playoffs if Rodman is out even at that stage.

Though Washington will try to fill in the void Rodman has left with her injury setback, Krieger somehow gave her the status of being irreplaceable. “She’s starting to become a leader and has that confidence in the attack that not many other players have,” concluded the 2x World Cup winner, highlighting the standout qualities of Trinity.

Rodman’s significance to the Washington Spirit is evident in the numbers. With their star player on the field, Jonatan Giráldez’s team boasts an impressive 14W-2D-4L record. However, without her, they struggle, recording just 1W-0D-3L. Speaking about her injury, it occurred in the 75th minute of the game, when she was shielding the ball from The Current’s Temwa Chawinga.

The USWNT forward had suddenly collapsed, lying face down on the field. Unable to continue, she was taken off in a wheelchair and led to the locker room, as the Spirit ultimately suffered a 3-0 defeat. Even though Rodman’s agent Mike Senkowski shared that the forward has sustained an ‘intense back spasm,’ Giráldez recently admitted that her absence doesn’t imply things are serious.

Nonetheless, fingers are crossed to see Rodman quickly recover from her knock. In the meantime, ardent fans can cherish the significant milestones the Spirit has achieved.

Trinity Rodman and Co. have achieved significant NWSL records

The 2024/25 season can be considered quite a historic one for the Washington Spirit stars, who have recorded some stellar numbers both for the club as well as in the NWSL. Starting off with Trinity Rodman, the 22-year-old became the youngest player in league history to reach 50 career goal contributions. Ashley Hatch also made her mark by scoring her 50th regular season goal, becoming the 7th player in NWSL history to do so.

The team set a club record for most goals in a single season with 42 (and counting), and Rodman, alongside Croix Bethune, combined for 16 assists—the most by any duo in a single NWSL season. Additionally, 14 different players found the back of the net, matching the club record for most players with a goal in a season. They achieved a new benchmark with 14 wins, their highest ever, and secured a playoff berth with seven matches remaining, the earliest in club history.

Washington’s rookies also made significant contributions, with a record 5 names scoring this season. Makenna Morris, in her first career start, created three goals against Bay FC, while Croix Bethune became the first player to be named NWSL Rookie of the Month four times, setting a league record.

Hearing all of this achievement makes us wonder why Ali Krieger believes the Washington Spirit can’t do anything without Trinity Rodman. What about you? Share your thoughts in the comments.