Trinity Rodman, a key player for the U.S. women`s national team, has opened up about her long-term back problems. She believes these issues will continue to affect her for the rest of her playing career and doesn`t expect her back to ever feel completely perfect.
Rodman recently played her first game of 2025 for the Washington Spirit, after being sidelined for a while. Her back injury, which she`s been managing since her debut season with the Spirit in 2021, worsened last September, causing her to miss almost a month of play. Although she returned for the Spirit`s playoff games, she was rested for the NWSL Challenge Cup earlier this month. She has played in all three regular season games so far and spoke about the ongoing nature of her injury.
Speaking to reporters, Rodman explained, “Honestly, I don’t think my back will ever be 100 percent. It’s not about one specific problem, but just how my back is built. It’s more about managing it rather than finding a cure. We`ve been managing it well, and I`m happy with the progress, but I don`t think my back will ever be as it was in my first year, which is disappointing.”
This recurring back issue has caused Rodman to miss a significant number of games at various points in her career, often at inconvenient times. Last season`s injury occurred after she played a vital role in the USWNT`s Olympic gold medal victory and during an NWSL season where she was in contention for the MVP award.
Rodman continued, “It`s difficult for me, especially after a great season and the Olympics, to then get injured and have to find my place and rhythm again. After building so much momentum, getting injured feels like starting over. You can’t just jump back in at the same level. The mental challenge for me is accepting that I can’t be the same Trinity I was at the Olympics right after coming back from injury. So, I`m focusing on playing my role as effectively as possible in a different way as I build back up.”
Rodman`s Return to USWNT
Rodman is now concentrating on the USWNT, with upcoming games against Brazil in April as they prepare for the 2027 Women`s World Cup. This marks her return to the national team since the Olympics. Coach Emma Hayes decided to give Rodman a break after a demanding season with both her club and country. Hayes has also been involved in helping Rodman manage her back injury by consulting with specialists.
Rodman shared about Hayes at the NWSL media day in January, “She`s been very open to everything I`ve said and even reaches out to me to check in and let me know they’re working to find people to help with my back, because it`s a tricky injury area in sports, where you’re more used to knee and lower leg injuries. It’s been really nice. She’s very supportive and considerate of all of us, which is great.”
Hayes isn`t planning to rush Rodman back into full play immediately. With a long time until the World Cup, Hayes is using the games against Brazil to experiment with her squad and assess less experienced players. She acknowledged that Rodman might not be ready for a major role in these upcoming friendly matches.
Hayes stated in a press conference last week, “We’re thrilled to have her back with us. But, of course, I have to be a bit cautious because of her ongoing back issue. I think she’s progressing well, but it’s easy to aggravate it. We could go from a managed return to play to doing too much, so I need to find the right balance in camp to integrate her back into the team while also managing her condition, as she has a long season ahead.”
