“Yeah, I just think… damn. Holy cow…That was just the hardest thing I had to go through,” remarked a tear-eyed Trinity Rodman in the aftermath of a 2-1 win over the Portland Thorns last weekend. For someone who had just scored the winner for her team after coming off the bench—especially months after returning from injury—it’s only natural to become emotionally vulnerable and struggle to hold back tears.

April 12, for your information, was the last time Rodman was seen in action, coming off the field only to announce days later that she would be taking her time off the pitch to heal her back injury. From flying to London and working hard with doctors, to going through training sessions that made her throw up, the 22-year-old certainly gave the extra mile. But how exactly did she manage to go through all of this while keeping just one goal in her mind: returning fit?

The answer was shared during her recent appearance on ESPN’s Vibe Check segment, where she revealed some behind-the-scenes of her recovery. “There are a lot of things,” began Trinity Rodman, “I think just for one, being in pain all the time is really difficult. You’re always pushing to play at your highest level.”

People expect Trinity Rodman to perform for her team every week — something the USWNT forward usually doesn’t mind. But being in pain and dealing with injury made it much harder for the talented winger to cope with the pressure and live up to everyone’s expectations. “And then obviously, rehabbing and the decision to kind of step away because it wasn’t an easy one, and I didn’t even know if it was the right one. Turned out to be the right one, thankfully,” she continued

Who would have thought that even a great talent like Rodman would end up getting submerged in her own self-doubt? Fortunately, everything worked out just fine, marking her return to the field just about right. “There were a lot of just hard decisions and a lot of pain and emotions through the entire, I don’t know, the entire year of going through it since it happened. So yeah, it was a very emotional game for me, obviously.”

One certainly can’t blame her, considering how the events unfolded that day. After the Washington Spirit took an early lead in Matchday 14 with a 17th-minute goal from forward Gift Monday, it looked like the home side was in control. However, Portland Thorns’ young star Olivia Moultrie leveled the score in stoppage time, dampening the early momentum.

That only forced the Spirit to call up Trinity Rodman in the second half — a decision that quickly paid off. Making her presence felt almost instantly, the USWNT star produced a moment of magic. A cross from Courtney Brown reached Croix Bethune, who attempted to control it with an awkward touch, but the ball instead fell to Rodman just outside the six-yard box.

Without hesitation, she smashed a brilliant volley into the top corner, giving the Thorns goalkeeper no chance. Overwhelmed with emotion, Rodman dropped to her knees as the stadium erupted — not just in celebration of the game-winner, but also in honor of their star’s inspiring return. So if it won’t make Trin emotional, then what else will?

Trinity Rodman never had this feeling before!

Trinity Rodman experienced a wave of mixed emotions. More than just finding the back of the net after a long time, it was the feeling of doing so in front of her home crowd at Audi Field — with immense support — that gave the 2024 Paris Olympian a true sense of being back home.

“The biggest thing was the relief of not being in pain. Just feeling like myself out there again, even for that short amount of time, meant everything. I watched it back, the way I moved, my touches, and it felt like how I played during the Olympics,” added the Newport Beach native.

Having dealt with the effects of her first back injury for years, Rodman never truly imagined regaining her explosiveness on the field. However, the previous matchday proved to be a major confidence boost, making her feel—perhaps for the first time in a long while—that she was finally back to being herself again. Let’s hope it stays that way for like, forever!