In what felt like a story crafted for the silver screen, 23-year-old USWNT forward Trinity Rodman made a spectacular return to professional soccer. After 114 days away from the pitch and nearly a year since her last goal, the player triumphantly overcame a prolonged back injury.
Rodman’s comeback for the Washington Spirit against the Portland Thorns on Sunday was nothing short of explosive. Subbed into the game late, she ended her four-month rehabilitation absence by netting the decisive goal in stoppage time with a brilliant strike. The game-winner unfolded from a cross by Courtney Brown, flicked on by midfielder Croix Bethune, which found an open Rodman near the far post, allowing her to powerfully finish. This moment was deeply emotional for Rodman and her teammates.
`We had to adjust a little bit second half. It wasn`t as clean as we wanted it to be, but still created a lot of opportunities. I`m so proud of the team. Obviously, I`ve been away, and they`ve been putting in that work when I haven`t been here, so I`m just grateful to be back on the field with them. They`re in full support of me. I`m in full support of them, and with the celebration, them, like, just hugging me was the best thing ever,` Rodman shared after the game.
Back issues are not new for the Washington Spirit winger; Rodman has experienced tightness and flare-ups since her rookie season in 2021. However, the pain significantly worsened after her Olympic gold medal win. Throughout 2025, her recovery involved a challenging trial-and-error process of rest, time off, and exploring new methods to manage her back.
Following a painful exit from the 2024 NWSL Championship in November, Rodman was given an extended break from national team camps, missing January sessions and the 2025 SheBelieves Cup roster. She slowly built up her playing time with the start of the 2025 NWSL regular season in March and even featured against Brazil during the April international window. However, after that two-game series, the Washington Spirit announced she would be away from team activity indefinitely to focus on injury management.
Reflecting on her arduous journey back to the pitch, Rodman candidly spoke about the emotions and the behind-the-scenes work involved:
`It was just the hardest thing I`ve had to go through with injury and everything. So being back, especially at the home stadium, with the crowd behind me, scoring a goal like that. You saw, I buried it, I was not gonna miss it. So yeah, I`m just really happy to be back. I miss the team. I miss doing what I love,` she expressed.
`I was doing a lot of work behind the scenes by myself. I was getting fit, obviously, not in a team environment, which was kind of difficult to replicate as best I could by myself. But yeah, I was working a lot on my endurance. I was working a lot on getting my back to work the way that it should, and kind of tweaking certain things in the way that I moved. So, yeah, feels great to be back. Trainings have been amazing since I`ve been back, and I`m just going to keep building.`
