USWNT emerging star Trinity Rodman has expressed her delight after her place on her country's roster for the World Cup was announced with the help of a famous family friend.
The 21-year-old forward comes from an illustrious sporting family, with her father being the legendary former basketball star Dennis Rodman. Unlike her dad and brother, the court was not her calling, however, and her decision to pursue a career in football has been an inspired one.
The Californian has excelled while turning out for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) outfit the Washington Spirit, notching 19 goals so far in 63 outings, with her solid start to her career having caught the eye nationally. Her 17 caps so far for the USWNT have yielded a couple of strikes as well as the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player for 2021.
Rodman Jr is also the NWSL's highest paid play, taking home a bumper salary of $1,100,000 (£866,000), with her athleticism and direct style making her a dangerous asset for both club and country. Her speed and eye for goal may mean that spectators see a lot of her in the coming years.
Now, in one of the biggest moments of her fledgling career to date, the youngster was named in among the final 23 names for the World Cup in Australia. Pulling out all the stops ahead of the tournament down under, a host of recognisable faces were called upon to announce who had been included in the squad.
From President Joe Biden and the First Lady Jill Biden to Taylor Swift and Lil Wayne, US Soccer pulled out the big guns as part of the hype video as the USWNT looks make history by winning a third World Cup in a row. When it came to Rodman, therefore, it was only fitting that a figure with a connection to her famous sporting family should make an appearance.
Sending along his congratulations, the NBA icon that is Shaquille O’Neal was on hand to break the news to the world that the Washington Spirit starlet had made the roster. The 51-year-old Basketball Hall of Fame inductee said: “Welcome to your first world cup, go kick some a** and bring back that victory. Go USA, and congratulations Trinity."
A friend of her dad's, Rodman referred to the four-time NBA winner as her 'uncle' when expressing her happiness that the Chicago Bulls great had sent her the message. Taking to Instagram, she simply replied: "Thanks Shaq, [you're] awesome."
Afterwards, she told reporters: “Mine was cool. Uncle Shaq. Obviously Shaq and my dad were friends and stuff, and he saw me at a really young age… It was awesome and he’s super cool.”
The talented forward could be set for a breakout tournament in her first ever World Cup, where she could well be expected to dovetail with the legendary Alex Morgan or serve as her understudy. With the USWNT standing to become the first team in history to win the coveted trophy on three occasions, Rodman may be about to become a true household name in football as well as basketball.
