Trinity Rodman Refuses to Change Her Style to Fit Emma Hayes’ Expectations for USWNT’s Olympic Selection

After a poor World Cup campaign, the USWNT is looking to get back in the saddle. The American ladies are keen to reclaim the dominance they once had as they continue to undergo significant transitions, including a change in coaching, with Emma Hayes set to take over in the coming months. While the Chelsea boss will have command of the team ahead of the Olympics, Trinity Rodman recently asserted on the ‘The Women’s Game’ podcast, hosted by Sam Mewis, that she won’t be altering her style to fit what the new boss “expects” of her.

As the team awaits Hayes to take over from interim coach Twila Kilgore, Dennis Rodman’s daughter was asked about her preparations so far for the Olympics that will set her apart from the others. The Washington Spirits star acknowledged that while it’s ‘hard‘ to constantly fight for the spot in the starting XI, she is able to overcome challenges. “I perform better when I’m not overthinking my skills and thinking that I need to transform into a player that Twila or Emma expects me to be,” she said. 

Instead, Rodman likes to play the way she naturally does. “Just the ability to be yourself and never feel like you have to change just because you think this coach wants this specific player, like you’re in there for a reason,” added the 21-year-old. It seems that Trinity would expect Hayes to give her freedom on the pitch and let her be the ‘out of the box’ player. Otherwise, she won’t be able to conquer her own fears!

Trinity Rodman was ‘scared’ during her early USWNT days

While expressing her enjoyment of playing on the pitch, Trinity Rodman made an interesting revelation about her fears while being with the national team in the podcast. She said, “Before I’d first got on the team, there were a lot of comments like, ‘Oh, Trinity for Washington spirit is not the Trinity we’re seeing with the national team, and I’m like, yeah, I’m scared.'” Let’s hope these fears no longer exist; otherwise, they might affect her chances on the national team.

Compared to the World Cup roster of 23 players, only 18 players can go to the Olympics. Hence, Rodman would have to compete against players like Lynn Williams, Sophia Smith, Alex Morgan, Jaedyn Shaw, and Midge Purce for a place in the front three. Additionally, Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario have potentially returned from their injuries, further increasing the competition. Clearly, the fight for a place in the starting XI within the USWNT ranks remains at its peak.

Read More: Emma Hayes Won’t Take ‘Any Sh*t’ From ‘Entitled’ National Team Players, Warns USWNT Legend Ali Krieger

Let’s see if Trinity Rodman is able to secure her spot under Emma Hayes. Otherwise, she might have to reconsider her stance on not changing her style.