Trinity Rodman had been a major absence on the field. Fresh off winning gold at the Paris Olympics, the Washington Spirit forward faced a series of challenges, from injuries to a heartbreaking end to the 2024 NWSL campaign. Not to mention, her entire vacation and pre-season were spent recovering. But as she finally made an emphatic return—both domestically and internationally—it was only natural for Landon Donovan to remind everyone of the “nightmare” that players and rival teams are now set to face.

In fact, who better than the former interim boss of San Diego Wave to do so? Having witnessed the kind of threat the estranged daughter of Dennis Rodman proves to be on the field, Donovan had to step forward and give a special commendation to the forward. As compiled by BR Football, the former US Men’s National Team striker said, “She is an absolute nightmare to defend, and she’s only going to get better.”

Interestingly, this might be the first time we are witnessing Donovan heaping praise on Trinity. But we reckon these words must be no less than music to the ears of the 22-year-old forward, especially given they are coming from an iconic player of her nation. Well, it had to happen, considering how much of an impact she was able to create last season.

Fresh off the Summer Games’ triumph, Rodman was able to notch 8 goals and 6 assists in over 28 games. As for the times she has faced Donovan as the Waves interim boss, it dates back to September. Both sides played a 1-1 draw, which ironically echoes the same scoreline under Casey Stoney‘s reign back in June. While Rodman failed to get her name on the scoresheet, she did prove lethal as always creating significant changes.

Meanwhile, Donovan took charge of the Waves in the summer of 2024, after their head coach Casey Stoney was shockingly dismissed from her duties. Under the English boss who now coaches the Canadian women’s national team, Alex Morgan’s ex-team ended up enduring a seven-game winless streak at the start of the campaign. Under Landon, things hardly improved as they secured a 10th-place finish with just 26 points.

On the contrary, Rodman and her teammates were able to secure a second-place finish behind Orlando Pride with a mere difference of four points. They also lost their chance to win the NWSL Championship but were able to seek revenge in the Challenge Cup game.

Regardless, it’s good to see Rodman getting such recognition. In fact, a bonus with the USWNT superstar is that she’s not only good at impressing people with her on-field heroics; the forward is also a master in pulling some real antics!

Trinity Rodman is good at pranks too!

During Saturday’s 2-0 friendly win over Brazil, Trinity Rodman found the net just five minutes into the game. But what truly stood out was her cheeky celebration—mocking her recent injury by pretending to limp, clutching her back, and pulling a pained expression. While most people caught on that it was just a playful act, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes was briefly fooled.

“Except I didn’t think she was pretending,” admitted the 48-year-old in the post-match presser. While many found it amusing, Hayes wasn’t exactly thrilled. “I will have a word with her because that’s like a cry-wolf moment. I turned to the physios, and I said, ‘Her back’s hurting instantly.’ Then I realized she was tricking us.”

Interestingly, Hayes noted that Rodman had already pranked her earlier while she was doing media duties, sneaking up in the background to distract her. In response, Hayes made sure to return the favor by interrupting Rodman’s media scrum, playfully calling it “1-1” in their ongoing prank exchange.

The USWNT’s second game vs Brazil ended in a 1-2 defeat, with Rodman being absent. The forward was sent home early over a precautionary call. While we believe Hayes must have given her some teaching, the end note is that Trinity Rodman is back, better than ever!