The real journey has begun for the USWNT under Emma Hayes. Fresh off the Paris Olympics gold triumph, the American ladies are back to basics to play its October window. Scheduled to play two matches against Iceland, the first match is currently underway at the Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. However, many are questioning the absence of star player Trinity Rodman from the squad.

Her absence becomes a bigger topic of discussion even after the fact that she was featured in one of her recent domestic games. Specifically, Dennis Rodman’s daughter made a much-anticipated return from a back injury sustained on September 20 during Spirit’s shocking 3-0 defeat to KC Current. This injury sidelined her for a few matches, including clashes against Angel City and Orlando Pride, before she returned in Washington Spirit’s 4-1 win over Racing Louisville on Monday, October 14.

Coming off the bench, she played more than half an hour in that emphatic win. In fact, in the following match week, on this past Monday, she again came off the bench around the hour mark during Washington Spirit’s tough 2-0 victory over Chicago Red Stars, with both teams reduced to 10 players. So, if Rodman had been making these short appearances from the bench, why wasn’t the winger called up by Hayes?

Since Trinity Rodman has only been playing limited minutes, it is understood that she is still in rehab. With Washington Spirit having a final NWSL regular-season game on Saturday, November 2, before heading into the playoffs, these upcoming matches are crucial. Therefore, it was advised that Rodman should be excluded from this month’s international window, as sending her to the national camp might pose a risk.

Having already returned with a potential injury scare—something Rodman has a history with—coach Jonatan Giráldez has been using her cautiously, limiting her minutes until she can fully recover and play entire matches. Although her presence was needed for the doubleheader against Iceland, followed by the clash against Argentina, given that it is more of a “victory tour” for the team, Rodman ultimately chose to stay and recuperate.

However, she isn’t alone; other players who were expected to make the cut in Hayes’ 26-player squad also didn’t make it to the camp for their own reasons.

Other stars alongside Trinity Rodman who are missing from the USWNT roster

Out of the 22-player roster that returned to the U.S. with Olympic gold, only 18 stars are available. While Trinity Rodman tops the list of absentees, the second missing player is her domestic teammate, Croix Bethune, who was sidelined for the rest of the season after tearing her meniscus while throwing the first pitch at a Washington Nationals game in late August.

Similarly, defender Tierna Davidson picked up an injury over the weekend while playing for NJ/NY Gotham FC. As for Crystal Dunn, who featured in all six Olympic games for the USWNT, U.S. Soccer cited her absence as being “unavailable for selection due to personal commitments.” Regardless, it remains to be seen whether they are called up in the next camp.