Trinity Rodman’s Status Uncertain Ahead of NWSL Quarterfinal

LEESBURG, Va. — Trinity Rodman, forward for the Washington Spirit, has been listed as questionable for Saturday’s NWSL quarterfinal due to a sprained MCL sustained last month.

During the initial 30 minutes of the Spirit’s training session on Friday, which were open to media, Rodman did not participate. Instead, she spent that time in the team’s gym facility, as confirmed by a team spokesperson, before joining her teammates on the field towards the end of practice.

The United States women’s national team standout was later marked as questionable for the quarterfinal match against No. 7 seed Racing Louisville FC on the league’s availability report. Earlier in the day, Spirit head coach Adrián González refrained from making any definitive statements about Rodman’s status.

“Rodman and others have been working on a ‘day by day’ basis,” González stated, indicating that he would confer with the medical staff later that day for an official update. “The only thing with Trin is she’s been doing great. I feel positive about her progress—she’s in a good mental state and her physical condition is improving. She’s committed to her recovery and is doing everything she can to be in the best possible shape. We remain optimistic about her situation.”

Rodman was unavailable for comments post-practice.

The Spirit enters the playoffs as the No. 2 seed for the second consecutive year. If they succeed in defeating playoff newcomers Louisville on Saturday at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., they will advance to host a semifinal match next week against either the Portland Thorns or San Diego Wave.

“We approach this with a humble mindset,” Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt remarked to reporters after training. “We are determined and hungry for victory. Our mindset isn’t that because we are at the top, we should naturally win. Instead, we are ready to face any challenge that comes our way in the playoffs.”

On Friday, González emphasized the need for the Spirit to maintain a compact defensive formation and to win second balls, which is crucial to avoid being caught in transition—something Louisville excels at.

Washington may need to proceed without Rodman, who has recorded five goals and two assists in just nine games this season. She sprained her right MCL on October 15 during a 4-0 victory over Monterrey in the Concacaf W Champions Cup, a match that secured the Spirit’s spot in next year’s continental semifinals.

Rodman left the field visibly upset, unable to put weight on her leg, and was later seen using crutches and wearing a full knee brace. González had commented that the MCL sprain was the “best scenario” they could have hoped for, especially after initial concerns regarding the severity of the injury.

Just hours before her injury, Rodman was named to the U.S. national team roster for the first time in six months. USWNT head coach Emma Hayes had expressed excitement about Rodman’s return, calling her “one of the best players in the world.”

However, Rodman’s return to the national team will have to wait, as she has only appeared in one match for the United States since her pivotal role in the Olympic gold-medal run in summer 2024.

A recurring back injury has limited Rodman’s participation with the USWNT for much of the past year and impacted her performance in last year’s playoffs. After the Spirit’s loss to the Orlando Pride in the 2024 NWSL Championship, Rodman acknowledged, “Not an excuse, but I wasn’t the Trin that I wanted to be today.”

In March, she expressed concerns that her back might never fully recover, but her decision to leave the Spirit’s team environment this spring to focus on rehabilitation in London has led to a more optimistic outlook.

Rodman made her return to the field on August 3 after nearly four months away and scored a dramatic game-winning goal as a substitute. In an emotional moment post-match, she shared with ESPN, “Holy cow, that was just the hardest thing I’ve had to go through with injury and everything.”

Rodman is considered one of the NWSL’s emerging stars and is set to be out of contract at the end of 2025. Earlier this year, she indicated to ESPN that she has always contemplated playing overseas, suggesting it is merely a matter of timing.

In the regular-season finale on Sunday, the Spirit faced challenges with limited resources, as only three healthy field players were available off the bench in their 1-0 loss to Utah. However, 18 field players participated in the open portion of Friday’s training session at the Inova Performance Complex.

In addition to Rodman, Croix Bethune (thigh), Leicy Santos (illness), and Deborah Abiodun (ankle) were also unavailable last week.

“We have a strong bench now, and we are excited,” stated Spirit defender Tara McKeown following Friday’s practice. “Everyone is eager to compete, especially in front of our fans at Audi Field.”