Trinity Rodman is already paving her own way in her professional career.
Rodman, 18, the daughter of NBA legend Dennis Rodman, made her National Women’s Soccer League debut on Saturday with the Washington Spirit, months after being the second draft pick.
At the time of the announcement, the teenager acknowledged her athletic trait from her famous father but makes it clear that she intends to make a name for herself, saying, “This has been my dream forever, I’ve been playing soccer since I was 4 years old.”
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“He was an amazing athlete, and I got those genes from him, but I’m excited to be known as Trinity Rodman and not just as Rodman’s daughter,” she said. “I’m excited to pave my own path and get better throughout this journey.”
Rodman immediately made history minutes into her debut, becoming the youngest American goalscorer in the history of the league. Washington Spirit called the teenager the “GOAT” or greatest of all time “in the making.”
National Women’s Soccer League tweeted footage of Rodman scoring for her team as “the magical start to her professional career” with the caption, “@trinity_rodman is here, and she it not. messing. around.”
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Rodman credited her teammates as “a huge part” in helping her become better on the field against other skilled athletes.
“My team has helped me a lot, obviously, being a really young player and very new, it’s definitely a lot faster, girls are a lot stronger, a lot more intelligent, at this level,” Rodman said to reporters. “I think just getting advice from my teammates in scrimmages and practices, I’ve been able to kind of think ahead. And I think that’s a huge part of what’s helped me in the game.”
Coach Richie Burke called Rodman “brilliant” and praised her level of skills and instincts on the field.
“The kid is just brilliant. She’s a machine as an athlete, just unbelievable. When you play against her, you train with her, you see how quickly she closes you down. She’s deceptively quick to close you down. But now she’s getting tactically better, too,” Burke said.
While having a famous father, Rodman says her mother Michelle is her role model and is instrumental in her success.
“Having a dad like I do, no one asks about my mom because she’s obviously not an NBA star, but I just want people to know that my mom’s been my support system in everything in life and she’s my best friend and my rock,” Rodman said.
People celebrated Rodman’s debut on Twitter including businessman Merritt Paulson who tweeted, “Unreal 1st touch. Wow.”
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