After a whirlwind 2024, USWNT and Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman has been catching the attention of club teams around the world.

Now entering her contract's final year, the 2021 Rookie of the Year's name has come up amid the recent wave of NWSL departures. Subsequently, speculation about the Olympic gold medalist's future is making headlines both at home and abroad. 

But Rodman herself isn't letting the noise get to her. Instead, she's been laser-focused on getting back to the pitch at 100% fitness after lingering back injuries impacted the latter half of the 22-year-old's season.

"The off-season was a great reset for me, mentally and physically," Rodman told Just Women’s Sports at NWSL Media Day in January. "I got to do a lot of physical therapy, which was nice. I got to be with family, and right now I'm just focused on not jumping right back into it."

Recovering from a taxing 2024 NWSL season

Rodman is known as a player whose motion on and off the ball can confuse defenders, running with a fearlessness that makes her even more dangerous on the attack.

But she's also had trouble balancing her style of play with ongoing pain in her torso. For years, the pain seemed to pass after hard contact, but it escalated last September when she had to exit a match by wheelchair.

Rodman returned to the Spirit ahead of the 2024 NWSL playoffs. But later, she mentioned that her back issues were still in play after the Spirit fell to the Orlando Pride in the 2024 NWSL Championship game. She went on to say that the injury had been haunting her since the US won gold at the Paris Olympics.

"That's not an excuse, but I wasn't the Trin that I wanted to be today," she said at the time.

But for a player that gets joy out of every moment on the pitch, taking a step back to get herself healthy has been a learning process.

Alongside "Triple Espresso" teammates Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson, Rodman has chosen to take time off from the last couple USWNT camps. And she credits her coaching staff for keeping her on the road to recovery.

"[I'm] just kind of progressing slowly," she told JWS. "Even if I feel good, I don't want to set it back again and be in a bad position."

Speedy Rodman learns to slow things down

Despite her off-field efforts, balancing rest with the needs of her team hasn't been easy.

"It's still very difficult, especially once you get later on in the season," she said. "There's not those moments where you can say, 'Oh, I need to sit out this game,' because every game is important."

"I definitely don't have it down yet, trying to figure out that balance. But I'm learning, and I'm trying to get better at communicating with the medical team and with my coaches."

For a Washington Spirit team that finished second in both the 2024 NWSL table and postseason, getting players healthy could take the team to new heights. The Spirit lost numerous starters throughout the 2024 season, including Rookie and Defender of the Year Croix Bethune, captain Andi Sullivan, and starting forward Ouleye Sarr.

Of course, Rodman is just as ready to see her teammates back on the pitch as she is herself.

"I'm very excited that people are coming back from injury — Andi's journey, Ouleye's journey, Croix's journey, being able to hopefully see them back sooner than later," she said. "So far, even just this first week, the energy has been great. We're very together already, and going off last season, I think we set a really good foundation."

Despite injuries, consistency is key

A year without a major tournament involving the USWNT gives Rodman and her teammates time to gel. It also provides Rodman time to get ahead of the pain that has been following her for much of her career.

Last week, she told gathered media that USWNT manager Emma Hayes is planning to hire a specialist to help her continue to strengthen her back, describing it as "a hard location of injury."

With a stronger physical foundation, Rodman is eager to put injury woes behind her and focus on her game. But the 2024 NWSL MVP finalist is also realistic. She acknowledges that she might not be grinding out full 90-minute performances during the early season, if that's deemed detrimental to her long-term health. 

These days, Rodman is committed to developing consistency as a player. She places as much emphasis on being a playmaker as putting the ball in the back of the net. And if the immediate future limits her to leading from the sideline, she's all in.

"I don't need to be the person that's scoring three goals every game, but just making an impact in any way that I can, even if that's in games where I'm getting pulled out earlier," she said. "I'm excited to see how I grow in that way of celebrating other people, and being able to play at my highest level when I'm in the game."

Monday’s 2025 WNBA Draft could seriously shape the future for the three teams at the helm of this year’s lottery, as top pick-holders Dallas, Seattle, and Washington all prepare to make major moves after a rollercoaster offseason.

The Wings currently hold the overall No. 1 pick, while Seattle will select second after a blockbuster three-team trade with LA and Las Vegas sent star Jewell Loyd to the Aces and the No. 2 pick to the Storm.

Washington also wields significant draft capital following another series of trades, which sent top guard Ariel Atkins to Chicago in exchange for the No. 3 pick. Meanwhile, the Mystics also boast Monday's fourth and sixth first-round selections.

While Dallas and Seattle wield the highest picks, Washington’s wealth of selections gives them the most first-round influence — especially over expansion franchise Golden State’s No. 5 pick.

"I think it actually creates an opportunity for us to build strength in a couple of different ways," said Mystics GM Jamila Wideman.

Flexibility is the name of the WNBA Draft game

Uncertainty has reigned supreme in recent months, as team executives find out alongside the public exactly which college stars are entering the WNBA’s talent pool as some eligible standouts opt to remain in the NCAA for one final season.

"We're always nimble as GMs in this league," Dallas GM Curt Miller told media on Thursday. "You don’t truly know who is declaring and coming into the draft until the very end."

As for teams outside of the lottery, they'll have to cross their fingers and wait patiently on Monday, as last year’s lowest record-holders raid the draft pool first.

The NWSL returns this weekend, bouncing back from April’s international break as teams who excelled early attempt to prove they belong on the top half of the table.

The fourth matchday of the 2025 NWSL season is loaded, as the league resets with pairings from all over the standings — leaving teams jockeying to shift or solidify their positions for the long season ahead.

Given that only five points currently separate first and eighth place, each match carries significant weight. Plus, with national team players returning on short rest after a busy international spin, expect squad rotation to play a major role in this weekend's results.

Rising teams take aim at league-leaders

With the defending champion Orlando Pride riding last season's dominant play to a three-win 2025 start, a rising Seattle club faces a tough task this weekend.

The Reign, who finished second-to-last in 2024 play, already bounced back to claim sixth place on the table — but they'll still need significant home-pitch advantage to topple the league-leaders on Saturday.

This weekend's docket also features the NWSL's only other three-win squad, as the second-place KC Current hits the road to take on San Diego.

Like the Reign, the fifth-place Wave have put together a similar turnaround after missing last year's postseason cut. To keep that momentum, however, they'll have to combat 2024 NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga’s high-flying attack on Saturday.

On the other end of the table, two clubs with high 2025 expectations enter this weekend still scrambling for a first season win, as the talent-laden Gotham FC and NC Courage will pit their robust rosters against each other in New Jersey on Sunday.

How to watch this weekend's top NWSL tilts

Saturday's biggest matches kick off with Orlando's visit to Seattle at 7:30 PM ET, with San Diego hosting Kansas City at 10 PM ET. Both games will air live on ION.

Then on Sunday, the Courage will battle Gotham at 4 PM ET, with live coverage on Paramount+.

Hit JWS podcast The Late Sub is back in action. We're kicking off a brand new season with staff writer Claire Watkins’s expert takes on the world of women’s soccer. And we're starting with the youth movement in the USWNT.

This week, Watkins talks through USWNT star Trinity Rodman’s splashy return. She later discusses the national team's current youth development movement. Lastly, she tackles head coach Emma Hayes's quest to find a successor for retired starting goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. And all the while, she gives her own women's soccer analysis.

"McGlynn stresses me out sometimes. She’s a player with a high upside, and also sometimes she does have those mental moments," Watkins says of USWNT goalie prospect Mandy McGlynn.

"I like [Phallon] Tullis-Joyce, would love to see a lot more from her," the host said of another top goalie contender, currently rostered at Manchester United. "I think she deserves more call-ups."

About 'The Late Sub' with Claire Watkins

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes on all things USWNT, NWSL, and all things women's soccer. Special guest appearances featuring the biggest names in women’s sports make TLS a must-listen for every soccer fan.

Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

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NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman voiced confidence in the league's ability to execute "ambitious plans" regarding expansion at last week's SheBelieves Summit, telling the crowd that growing to as many as 32 teams is not out of the question.

"Our board believes that we can be the size of the [32-team] NFL," she explained. "There is nothing that stands in the way of us doing that, other than having access to top talent."

"There’s certainly not a problem with the supply, given the size of our country and the level of talent that exists," Berman continued. "We just need to figure out how to develop [those athletes] strategically and intentionally."

Expansion takes backseat as NWSL focuses on 2026 scheduling

With the NWSL's current 14-team field welcoming expansion clubs in Boston and Denver in 2026, the league is still a long ways off from its potential long-term goal of exceeding 30 squads.

Following her remarks at the SheBelieves Summit, Berman told ESPN that while the league is not currently in an expansion round, she is continuing to conduct conversations with interested ownership groups.

Prior to seriously considering continued expansion, however, the league must first contend with some scheduling hurdles affecting the 2026 NWSL season.

Berman noted that while the NWSL expects to play throughout next year’s US-based men’s World Cup, certain anticipated venue conflicts will require creative solutions to do so, with the commissioner noting that "everything’s on the table" when it comes to addressing the overlaps.