“When you’re playing soccer, when you’re all there for the same reasons, it’s hard to even see age. You’re all working just as hard and you’re all playing at the same level.” This was what Trinity Rodman had to say about playing with the likes of Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan—players way senior to her—for the USWNT. But that was a 21-year-old Rodman. By then, she was already used to being around older teammates. Things, however, were different when she had just broken into the NWSL.

In the 2021 NWSL Draft, Trinity Rodman was the first pick (2nd overall) of the Washington Spirit. Having never played collegiate soccer, she was just 18 years old—the youngest player ever drafted at the time. While talking about her NWSL journey in a promo clip of Prime Video’s docu-series For the Win: NWSL, she confessed, “When I got drafted DC, I was thinking I have never been to DC. Oh, this is going to be fun. I think the scariest part was building relationships at 18 years old.” That’s right.

Per a CIES Football Observatory report, the average age of NWSL players in 2021 was 27.8 years. Naturally, it was challenging for Rodman. But the love for the game superseded everything. It also helped the forward player to make bonds with her teammates. Over time, she became close friends with the Spirit teammate Ashley Sanchez, 4 years older than her. As for her soccer legacy, it wasn’t long before it started to flourish.

Just two months after picking Rodman, the Spirit gave her the first million-dollar contract in NWSL’s history. It was difficult for even Rodman to digest the fact that she had achieved that feat ahead of veterans like Rapinoe, Morgan, and Crystal Dunne. But her team’s trust in her abilities wasn’t misguided. In her first season with the club, she was named the NWSL Rookie of the Year. In 25 games, she scored seven goals and assisted another seven—one of which was the game-winning assist made to Kelly O’Hara that brought the Spirit their first NWSL title. What’s more? She also helped the Spirit reach the NWSL championship game last season. Add to that the Olympic gold medal she won with the USWNT, and it’s surreal to think that she achieved has achieved all of that at just 22.

While talking about her progression in the league, she added, “It’s crazy, but this will be my 4th year and I’m still younger than the rookies. I feel like I have done a good job to figure out the balance of the leadership role and also, the learning, developing role.” She did have to navigate a lot of complicated things early on in her career, and the former Washington Spirit assistant coach Angela Salem has attested to that before.

“As a young player, she had a lot of responsibility and faced a lot of adversity with the club and in the league, along with all the players,” Salem had to USA Today back in 2023. “She had to grow up a lot quicker than most and was exposed to some negative things and challenges early on in her career,” she added. From multiple coaching overhauls to an ownership struggle that ultimately ended with Michele Kang taking over, Rodman had seen it all in her early days at the NWSL club. The growth, however, has to continue. “But I still have a lot to learn,” she concluded.

She is only 22. So, there is a lot of soccer left ahead for her. While she has won laurels in America, it alone isn’t sufficient to make the legacy she wants to build.

Trinity Rodman is ready to travel

The athlete in Trinity Rodman is looking for more. It’s the only way she can create an even greater legacy. A few days back, she told ESPN’s Futbol W, “I’ve always thought about playing overseas at some point in my career.” That’s the way ahead. Many others, such as Naomi Girma, Jenna Nighswonger, Kerolin, and Crystal Dunn, have followed the same route.

American icon Becky Sauerbrunn called it a right move, adding how she thinks that the youngster’s desire to move to “overseas” (which most likely refers to Europe) is fueled by her drive to gain more experience. Meanwhile, former USWNT player Sam Mewis also resonated with the opinion, citing the allure of playing in the Champions League.

Rodman’s contract is set to run out at the end of the 2025 season. While the Spirit’s owner Michele Kang has said that the franchise will do everything in their power to keep Rodman in the NWSL, it will be interesting to see how the latter responds to that.