LEESBURG, Va. — It’s good to be Trinity Rodman these days.
Her National Women’s Soccer League contract saga ended last month with a multimillion-dollar deal. Her sprained knee has healed and her chronic back issues have subsided.
In her long-awaited return to the U.S. women’s national team, she wore the captain’s armband and scored, then scored again days later. As expected, she has been recalled by U.S. coach Emma Hayes for the annual SheBelieves Cup, the program’s first true test in the run-up to the 2027 World Cup.
And on a cute personal note, because the timing of Washington Spirit training camp worked out just right last weekend, Rodman was able to attend boyfriend Ben Shelton’s tennis tournament in Greater Dallas.
“Him being able to win that conveniently on my off days was amazing,” she said with a smile Tuesday after Spirit training in suburban D.C. “So I'm really happy.”
By all accounts, the 23-year-old forward will enter her sixth pro season — and fifth with the national team — happy, healthy and hungry. Through performance, promotion and personality, Rodman is the face of her club, her league and increasingly of domestic-based U.S. soccer players, men or women.
For those reasons, the Spirit and NWSL not only wanted to re-sign her, but needed to re-sign her. And despite opportunities to spread her wings overseas, Rodman said she wanted to continue weaving her Washington nest.
Rodman did concede, however, there were moments of uncertainty before agreeing to a three-year contract that will pay her a reported $2 million annually — the highest rate in global women’s soccer.
“I definitely go through phases of like, ‘OK, I'm good. I can do something different, try something new,’” she said.
But …
“There's also times where I'm like, ‘OK, I'm not ready to do something or I need to be in a stable situation, comfortable in the U.S.’”
Then again …
“I go back and forth: ‘Oh, should I have done this, should I have gone overseas or whatever?’ But through it all, it's just trusting myself, because I've been open to everything, and I've teetered back and forth where I've been so close to being like, ‘OK, I'm going,’ and I'm like, ‘Wait, no, I'm not ready.’”
In the end …
“There's still more to do, and if I do make a big jump or a big decision like that, I want to feel like I've fully fulfilled what I want to do in D.C. before I'm bouncing around everywhere, if that makes sense.”
It does. After all, there is unfinished business. As a rookie in 2021, Rodman was part of the Spirit’s championship team, but after settling into a greater role, she has been on the losing side of the past two finals.
“We have redeeming to do,” she said.
Spirit coach Adrián González said Rodman has been “super excited” in training camp — “from the beginning, bringing that energy that she always brings.”
The question of whether Rodman would return was on everyone’s mind at team headquarters.
“We all wanted to see Trin playing with us, and I'm very happy she can stay with us,” González said. “I think that speaks [that] we are doing something good here at [the] Washington Spirit and also in the league to retain this talent. If we want to continue growing as a league, we need to have the best players, and we know she's one of the best.”
He continued: “For the fans, for the team, for the league, for the people that love soccer in this country, it's really positive having players like her.”
With contract matters behind her, Rodman aims to have a year without interruption or distraction — unlike 2025, when injuries sidelined her for months and the uncertainty of her employer weighed on her mind.
“I'm just motivated to be on the field as much as I can,” said Rodman, who last year appeared in just 15 of 26 NWSL regular-season matches, two playoff games as a sub and one U.S. friendly. “I've felt really good in national team camp [last month],and then coming into preseason [getting] a lot of minutes” in two friendlies.
Rodman will continue training with the Spirit before rejoining the national team ahead of the SheBelieves Cup March 1-7. Washington’s NWSL opener is March 13 against the Portland Thorns at Audi Field.
“We still have a lot to show and a lot more to our game as a team as a whole,” she said. “Having a lot of new faces this year and more internationals, there's still a lot of connections to be built in certain units on the field, so I'm excited to see those grow.”
Rodman will no longer work her magic — in the NWSL, anyway — with U.S. teammate Croix Bethune, who, after requesting a trade, was dealt to the Kansas City Current last week.
“I was really bummed about Croix. I can't lie,” Rodman said. “We're very close friends, so I was just really sad about that, in general. She has to do what's best for her.”
“Unfortunately, Kansas City,” Rodman, with a grin, said of the NWSL’s best team in the 2025 regular season. “I think she's going to thrive. She'll thrive at any club.”
The start of the season will also mean less flexibility in her personal life. After the Spirit closed Florida camp Saturday, she traveled to Texas to attend Shelton’s final push to his fourth tour title.
“This is the second tournament that my girlfriend has shown up on the semifinals day,” he said. “I’m 2-0 in semis when she shows up for that, so Happy Valentine’s Day!”
From the stands, Rodman tried persuading Shelton to do a celebratory dance after the semifinal — just as she had done with a reluctant Emma Hayes last month. He obliged by pumping his arms a bit while seated.
“We do really good at being there for each other, but also trying to be realistic at times where it's like, ‘OK, that's a little much. That's going to exhaust us,’” she said. “Yeah, big moments I try to show up for. Thankfully, I was there for Dallas, but we go with the flow.”
While Shelton will continue traveling the world for his job, Rodman will remain stateside to do hers — a contract in hand and a big year on tap.