From being the youngest draftee in NWSL history to winning the Olympic gold with the USWNT, Trinity Rodman has achieved so much in such a short time and it’s obvious there’s no limit to what more she can. Preparing herself for her second NWSL final, the Washington Spirit forward admits that the journey has been anything but easy. 

At the 2021 NWSL finals, she provided the game-winning assist in extra time to help the Spirits win their first league trophy. This year, Rodman played a key role in Emma Hayes’ gold-winning side, contributing with three goals. Speaking to ESPN ahead of Saturday’s final, Rodman reflects on the long season she has had. 

“I couldn’t have asked for a better Olympics. I think the biggest thing for me has been not getting too hung up on mistakes and celebrating other people. I think that has been really good for my development.” said Rodman who was extremely happy and surprised at how the year went for her. 

The 22-year-old also pointed out that she has been prioritizing the team’s success over her performance. “This year, I’ve really just put a huge focus on being a part of a team and learning and growing from the people around me. That’s what I did at the Olympics and that’s what I’ve been doing here at (the) club,” said Rodman. 

This season, Rodman bagged 8 goals and 6 assists helping the Spirits to a second-place finish behind Orlando Pride. Midway through the season, she suffered a back injury during the 3-0 loss to KC Current, which saw her leaving the field in a wheelchair. Since then, she has made a full recovery and is a strong contender for NWSL MVP of the year. 

Trinity Rodman’s full circle moment at CPKC Stadium

During the Washington Spirit match against KC Current at CPKC Stadium on September 20th, Rodman was tackled by this season’s top scorer, Temwa Chawinga. The challenge forced her to leave the field in a wheelchair, crying. Now Rodman has the golden opportunity to shed tears of joy, as she aims to defeat Orlando Pride. 

Her biggest opponent is Barbra Banda, who has scored 13 goals for Pride. Over the last two seasons, Orlando won all four of their regular season matches against Washington and are the only team to do so in 2024. However, if the game were to go to extra time, the Spirits have a slight advantage at their hands. 

The Washington-based club was involved in 6 of the 11 extra-time matches in NWSL post-season history, losing only one of them to penalties. Another crazy statistic is that 8 different players have scored goals in their playoff runs between 2021 and 2023. With the odds evenly stacked, who do you think will bring the trophy home? Will it be a second NWSL title for the Spirits or a first for Orlando Pride? Only time will tell.