Trinity Rodman is not only looking to win gold at the Olympics – but also escape the shadow of her NBA legend father.
The 22-year-old is part of Team USA’s squad for the Paris Games, and she’ll be looking help America become Olympic champions in the women’s football.
Rodman is widely seen as the next Megan Rapinoe and has the potential to be a force in the women’s game.
Here, talkSPORT.com looks into her career and her famous dad.
Trinity Rodman: The story so far
Rodman was born in Newport Beach, California.
Football or ‘soccer’ quickly took over her life and she began playing for SolCal Blues at the age of ten.
As far as youth teams go, there weren’t many better around , given they went five years unbeaten.
As a young forward, the 22-year-old quickly gained attention and was snapped up in the draft by Washington Spirit, where she remains to this day.
She has made 74 appearances for them, scoring 20 goals.
Given she’s still so young, reaching 200 to 300 caps is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility.
From a team perspective, Rodman has yet to win anything, but on a personal level, she has been very successful.
In November 2021, the forward was named the NWSL Rookie of the Year and was nominated for the Ballon d’Or Feminin.
However, at international level, Rodman has claimed two trophies, although missing out on the Women’s World Cup in 2023 was a bitter blow.
But the USA won the 2022 W Championship and the 2024 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
She is now part of the US team seeking gold in Paris.
The US Women’s Olympic football team are the most successful in the Games’ history, winning gold four times.
But they haven’t tasted success since 2012 and Rodman will play a big part in trying to change that.
What about her dad, Dennis?
Yes, Trinity’s dad is Dennis Rodman, the controversial former NBA star.
Trinity’s mother is Michelle Moyer, and she has a brother, DJ, and a half-sister, Alexis.
As well as playing alongside NBA legend Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls, Dennis was also known for his rather outlandish behaviour off the court, including kicking a camera man.
Not to mention he once called North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un a ‘friend for life’.
You couldn’t miss him with his outlandish hairstyles and tattoos, while he regularly clashed with opponents.
Rodman even headbutted a mascot and a referee, and skipped practice during Finals to attend a professional wrestling event.
In truth, there aren’t many as interesting or unique characters in sport, but Trinity wants to forge her own legacy.
Speaking to ESPN, she said of her five-time NBA Champion father: “My dad made a lot of mistakes through his career. I don’t want to say the wild child, but he was.
“I think being a woman coming from the Rodman name, coming from the NBA legacy of Dennis Rodman, it was important [that] I didn’t want the comments of she’s only here because of that.
“She’s only here because there’s potential in the last name. That has always been important to me and will continue to be.
“But at the end of the day, I want the name to be Trinity Rodman and she earned it herself, not because she has that last name but because she earned her way.”
However, Rodman has also revealed she has taken aspects out of her dad’s game, with Dennis labelled as the ‘best rebounding forward in NBA history’.
Commenting on how she has taken his basketball skills out onto the pitch, she stated: “It’s hunting in front of the goal. It’s hunting when you lose the ball.
“And I think that’s a huge part of my game — regains, tracking back and being the first person to get a foot, a head, a knee, a shin on something that pops up.
“Even if he wasn’t the first guy under the basket or he was next to Shaq [O’Neal], who was way bigger, way taller, he was going to get the rebound.
“It was timing, it was anticipation, it was body movement, it was positioning, it was everything. And I think he was so intelligent and I think people take that away.
“He was a freak of nature. He was an insane athlete, but at the end of the day, he, I think, was one of the smartest players at the time. He knew the game.”
Should Trinity help the USA win gold in Paris, she would be on the way to forging a legacy out of her father’s shadow.
talkSPORT will be be bringing you live coverage of the Paris Olympics this summer. We will showcase more than 250 hours of live coverage across our network, with Sir Steve Redgrave and Dame Kelly Holmes among our legendary line-up of pundits. Listen to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, via the app, or through your smart speaker.
News Summary:
- Who is Trinity Rodman? Team USA women’s footballer seeking Olympic glory in Paris and to escape dad’s shadow
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