In a terrifying moment, Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman was carried off the field in a wheelchair after falling to the ground during Friday night’s game against Kansas City Current. Rodman went down in the 75th minute after contact with Kansas City’s Temwa Chawinga.
Rodman was treated by the coaching staff for several minutes on the sideline, lying on her stomach and holding her back. She attempted to walk to the bench with the help of two staff members before eventually being taken to the locker room in a wheelchair.
Sending love to Trinity Rodman 💛
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 21, 2024
Rodman later returned to the bench with an ice pack, a positive sign for the star player. The Current dominated the game with a 3-0 victory.
After the game, Spirit head coach Jonatan Giráldez said he had “no information” on Rodman’s injury but confirmed it was related to her back. Giráldez said they would reevaluate her availability once the team returns to Washington.
Rodman’s agent, Mike Senkowski, told the Washington Post on Saturday that Rodman was suffering from an “intense back spasm.” Senkowski said Rodman was “still in a [lot] of pain, but that he was “hopeful” [she] “He avoided very serious injury,” the Post said.
Rodman has been battling back spasms since her debut season in 2021, meaning the contact with Chawinga is likely a side effect of the injury.
Both the Spirit and Current, currently in second and third place in the league, have secured a spot in the NWSL playoffs. Kansas City secured a spot with Friday’s win, while Washington secured a playoff spot earlier this week.
But it would be a major blow to the Spirit if Rodman were to miss any time: the 22-year-old forward has been a key part of Washington’s offense, scoring eight goals (tied for fourth in the NWSL) and adding six assists (tied for second).
