Trinity Rodman and other new USWNT stars will be even bigger deals now as Olympic champions

WASHINGTON — Trinity Rodman is no stranger to fame within the soccer world, and hasn’t been for some time.

In 2021, she was the NWSL’s rookie of the year and helped the Washington Spirit bring the nation’s capital its first pro women’s soccer title in 18 years. In 2022, she signed the first $1 million contract in the NWSL, and in 2023 she made her first U.S. World Cup squad.

Nor has Rodman been a stranger to fame overall, having been given it by her family name. Over those years, she grew to embrace being the daughter of Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, then quickly built her own reputation — one big enough that the subject rarely comes up anymore.

But even with all that, Rodman’s star has risen to a yet higher level this year. That’s what happens when you win a title with the U.S. national team, whether at the Olympics or World Cup, and join the pantheon of the most decorated program in women’s soccer history.

It’s one thing when ESPN or CBS wants to spotlight you for a national TV broadcast of a game. It’s another when the Today show calls or a raft of commercial sponsors hopes you’ll show off their product on TikTok — lining up behind those who were already there.

They all want a piece of the “Triple Espresso” front line of Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson. And they especially want a player whose three goals included two instantly viral Olympic highlights: the “Trin Spin” against Zambia in the group stage and the breathtaking cutback and smash past Japan in the quarterfinal.

» READ MORE: U.S. women’s soccer returns to the sport’s pinnacle, winning gold over Brazil at the Olympics

“It’s been so good since winning — I think I’m in a really good head space,” Rodman said after her first game back with the Spirit on Sunday, when she scored a near-duplicate strike from the Japan game in a 4-1 win over the Kansas City Current.

It’s not an overstatement to say the 22-year-old forward’s life has changed forever, because that’s what happens when a U.S. star in the making wins her first major title. But she is impressively humble about it.

“For me, in terms of, like, being a star, whatever, I don’t really think of it like that,” Rodman said. “Yeah, attention is nice, but at the same time, I feel like I use that as like a way to connect with more and more people, and a way to draw more eyes to the women’s game.

“I’m very happy, and today’s performance was amazing, and I hope we can keep building that so there’s more and more people wanting to support and watch women’s sports,” Rodman said.

It helps that the Washington area has a decades-long history of doing just that, with multiple soccer teams and the WNBA’s Mystics. That title 18 years ago was won by the old Washington Freedom, led by Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach, in the Women’s United Soccer Association, which is the league the former Philadelphia Charge played in.

» READ MORE: New NWSL collective bargaining agreement ends league’s draft, gets players more money

U.S. veteran Kelley O’Hara knows all of that well. A champion at the 2012 Olympics and 2015 and 2019 World Cups, she was teammates with Rodman on the Spirit’s title-winning squad, scoring the final-winning goal off Rodman’s great assist. Now with Gotham FC, O’Hara will bring the curtain down on her 15-year pro career this year and take her storytelling talents to the media world.

“Any time you win a major tournament, it’s such an exciting feeling, it’s an exciting time, there’s a lot that comes after it,” she said. “To me, it’s about enjoying it, and really just like leaning into it and taking advantage of every moment and opportunity that they have.”

But as great as the spoils of victory can be, not everything is sunshine and roses. All those sponsors who call, all the media outlets who want to feature you, and all the fans who scream for your autograph at every game can become a psychological burden if not handled right.

“You’ve got to understand your needs and put those first, and that’s what it means to be a professional,” O’Hara said. “You don’t get to this level by not knowing what you need, and what you can handle and what you can’t. It’s all about understanding that.”

» READ MORE: Back from the Olympics, Rose Lavelle and Jenna Nighswonger help Gotham FC make a statement to the NWSL

Right now might be too soon to feel the full effects of what this year’s gold medal will bring the 15 first-time champions among the 22 U.S. players in France. (Officially, alternates Hal Hershfelt and Jane Campbell didn’t get medals because they were never on a game-day roster.)

As another of those 15, O’Hara’s Gotham FC teammate Jenna Nighswonger, put it: “I personally don’t really feel that different — I think the only thing that has really changed for me is I’m getting a lot more PR boxes, which is really nice.”

Nighswonger said she’s “really grateful to be sent stuff,” and those PR folks can say thanks for the compliment. But to a veteran’s ear, those words are just the beginning.

It’s not just an American thing these days, either. When England won the 2022 European championship and made the 2023 World Cup final, the nation turned its huge passion for soccer fully on the Lionesses.

“I think it would be lying if we said it wasn’t difficult at times,” England star Alessia Russo said while visiting D.C. this month with her club team, Arsenal. “Obviously, it’s what you want — there’s no better feeling than winning a trophy or a championship with your team or with your country. … Your life does change, but I think that’s for the good.”

» READ MORE: Briana Scurry knows the kids she inspired as a player are now U.S. team stars, including Trinity Rodman

Russo also knows America’s rabid women’s soccer culture well. The veteran forward played collegiately at North Carolina from 2017 to 2019, coincidentally with future U.S. gold medalist Emily Fox.

Now the duo is together again in North London. Russo cheered Fox on from afar this summer (perhaps helped by England not playing in the Olympics), and is sure her friend will handle the trappings of fame as easily as she handles opposing wingers.

“Emily is one of the most professional people I’ve ever worked with, so I think she’ll be fine, and her performances will be as class as she always is,” Russo said. “Everyone in our team and at the top of the game always puts football first, and that’s what it will always be. So, yeah, ‘Foxy’ will always be a superstar.”

» READ MORE: How America helped build England’s new women’s soccer powerhouse

Russo isn’t the only Arsenal player who holds Fox in high regard. One of their newest teammates, Spanish World Cup champion Mariona Caldentey, does too, even though she just arrived. She came to the Gunners with the aura of last year’s historic triumph still present.

“It’s so hard to win, and we deserve to enjoy that,” she said. “And I think we need to just live with that pressure because we are footballers, we are in big clubs, and the expectations are high. We work on that, we have no problem, and I’m sure ‘Foxy’ will be the same.”

» READ MORE: The U.S. women’s soccer team is playing with joy again, and so is my sister. Watch out, world. | Alex Coffey