"In late November, the Washington Spirit and Gotham F.C. met at PayPal Park, in San Jose, California, for the National Women's Soccer League's championship game. During a scoreless first half, Trinity Rodman, the Spirit's star forward, sat on the sideline, but she was never far from mind. She'd been out for weeks recovering from an injured knee, but she had been cleared to play, and everyone knew that she had the skill and the daring to change the game in an instant."
"Rodman is twenty-three years old. She turned pro at eighteen, in 2021, without playing a single college match. When she was drafted, No. 2 over all, the N.W.S.L. was almost a niche concern, barely known even to legions of fans who fervently followed the U.S.W.N.T. Teams were valued at a few million dollars, and several had folded. Games were hard to find on television. Players endured conditions that made a mockery of their professional status."
Trinity Rodman returned from knee injuries to play in the N.W.S.L. championship final and possesses game-changing skill and daring. She was part of the U.S. Women's National Team's dominant front line at the 2024 Paris Olympics, contributing to ten of twelve goals during the gold-medal run. Rodman turned professional at eighteen in 2021 without playing college soccer and was drafted No. 2 overall. The N.W.S.L. shifted from a niche league with low team valuations and poor player conditions to rapid growth. In 2022 Michele Kang purchased the Washington Spirit for $35 million, a price characterized as an overpayment. Cities are investing in new stadiums.
Read at The New Yorker
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