How USWNT's Trinity Rodman models her game after her NBA father's
CARSON, Calif. — Let's get this out of the way: The United States women's soccer team has Trinity Rodman on it, and, yep, she's Dennis Rodman's daughter.
To anyone who lived through the '90s and geeked out on the Chicago Bulls, all things Michael and Scottie, and — perhaps even higher in the fascination stakes — Dennis, anything that gives a reason to glance to yesteryear has enjoyable value.
But just know this. Trinity Rodman is more, and deserves to be regarded as more, than the athletic and talented daughter of an iconic dad. The nostalgia piece tied to hoops is fun, but the "right now" is downright exhilarating.
That's because Rodman, the 21-year-old forward for the defending champion American squad, has rapidly risen from high-school standout to one of the very best players in the world, and deserves attention for so many more reasons than the name on the back of her jersey.
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It has sometimes seemed like she preferred to distance herself from her father's legacy, and were that the case, her wishes would demand full recognition. Family relationships, though, are tricky, and flow differently over time.
As things stand right now, Rodman hasn't communicated with her five-time NBA champion dad recently, but she does talk about him. On Tuesday, at the national team's official media day, she did so, first discussing him unprompted during a casual roundtable interview session, then offering previously unheard insight.
She went into deep detail, and there's not room for all of it here, but the most striking, surprising and completely-freaking-awesome nugget might be that not only has she internet-binged Dennis' basketball highlights for years, but that she still uses his hardwood techniques to benefit her own soccer game.
"I watched my dad play a lot more than people really know," Trinity Rodman said. "My brother [USC transfer DJ Rodman] lived for watching my dad's clips."
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Young Trinity did, too, even though she was born two years after The Worm's 2000 retirement.
"I think, obviously, my dad was pretty good at rebounding," she said. "I think just always hunting, with rebounding it is hunting in front of goal, hunting when you lose the ball. I think that is a huge part of my game, reading, tracking back and being the first person to get a foot, a head, a knee or a shin on something that pops up.
"Even if he wasn't the first guy under the basket or he was next to Shaq, 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. I think he was so intelligent and people take that away. He was a freak of nature, and an insane athlete, but at the end of the day I think he was one of the smartest players of all-time."
On the soccer field, Trinity Rodman is talented and fearless and pure box office, so much so that her club deal with the Washington Spirit is worth a reported $1.1 million over four years, a whopping sum for the NWSL.
When the captains of the 50 best national teams in the world cast their votes for the Ballon D'Or Femenil, the most prestigious individual honor in the women's game, Rodman came in at No. 18 last year despite her relative lack of experience.
Endorsement deals with Red Bull, Oakley and adidas are in place. Soccer knows all about her. Everyone else is about to find out, because never is the magnifying glass turned to the sport more acutely than at World Cup time, with the USA campaign kicking off against Vietnam on July 21 (9 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).
When she talks about her dad, there is unmissable pride and occasional humor, like when she was asked if her pre-game preparation had any correlation to party animal Dennis' infamously wild antics. The answer, given that Trinity's obsession with her craft is already widely known, is no.
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There is also something else in her voice, maybe not pure sadness, but perspective-led reflection. When she was named to the roster, Shaquille O'Neal singled her out as the squad was greeted by a variety of celebrity shout-outs. There was no phone call from Dennis.
"I did not [hear from him]," Trinity Rodman said. "I have not been in communication with him for months now, but at the end of the day, I have closure with it all. I know he is proud of me. I really do.
"He has his own things to deal with, but he has communicated with me that he knew I was going to be here, and that's all I need."
She knows the talk about Dennis won't stop, but there is a deeper story. A lot of support goes into the journey of an elite athlete. In Rodman's case, her mom, Michelle Moyer, was the present and consistent one, a former track athlete that Trinity admits she is the "spitting image" of and confesses to owing "everything."
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In Australia and New Zealand, there will be scrutiny on the Americans, the two-time reigning champions, as always. Rodman will try to drown out the noise with coloring books, reading, journaling and her guilty pleasure, "Fortnite." There's always intense focus on the USA team and one of the best parts of being on this squad is that there are household names, the likes of Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, to also soak up the bandwidth.
Rodman is used to the spotlight, because it has always been there. Like for Bronny James, Arch Manning and other offspring of legends, her famed parent is a part of her story and there is little that can ever change that.
Yet this particular story figures to be a long one, and on a global scale, it starts now. A layered tale, with all the complexity that matters relating to family and relationships always bring.
She shares a name with Dennis, but if we're talking about opportunity, that's all hers. Regarding the chance to give the USWNT a special X-factor with her skill and drive, it's here. And when it comes to Trinity Rodman's time? Oh, that's now.
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.
