USWNT star Trinity Rodman says ‘unfortunate’ back injury to be managed, not fixed

Trinity Rodman says she has a back injury that the U.S. women’s national team star says likely will keep her from ever being really healthy again.

Rodman, 22, has had back issues since her rookie season with the Washington Spirit in 2021. She aggravated the injury last September when she was taken off the field in a wheelchair in a game against Kansas City only weeks after being part of the Americans’ “Triple Espresso” front line with Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson that helped lead the U.S. women to their fifth Olympic gold medal in Paris.

She said the problem is not one specific thing but more how her back is structured. Rodman told reporters after Washington beat Bay FC 2-0 on Friday that makes it an issue to be managed rather than simply cured with a fix. She likes how they’ve managed her recovery and her progression.

“I don’t think my back will ever be the way it was my rookie year, which is unfortunate,” Rodman said. “Yeah … it’s tough for me coming off such a good season and the Olympics and then going into an injury and now trying to find my place again and find my role and find my rhythm. I think having such an incline of momentum of going and going and going and then getting injured.”

Part of Rodman’s challenge has been dealing with the mental battle of not being the “Trinity” she was at the Olympics where she scored three of that front line’s 10 goals as she works through this injury as well.

Rodman was left off both the U.S. team’s January camp and the recent SheBelieves Cup tournament and returned to her club team earlier this month in a National Women’s Soccer League match.

U.S. coach Emma Hayes added Rodman to the 24-player roster announced Tuesday in advance of a pair of friendly matches against Brazil next month. Hayes has said she’ll be cautious with Rodman’s return. That’s how Rodman is working too.

“I’m trying to play the role as best I can and still be effective in a different way as I build back up into it,” Rodman said.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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