LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trinity Rodman spotted Mallory Swanson across a crowded hotel conference room and took off running, bounding into her U.S. teammate with a hug and a delighted laugh.
A few moments later, Sophia Wilson appeared in the room where the National Women's Soccer League was holding a preseason event, bringing together the trio nicknamed Triple Espresso for the first time since the 2024 Olympics.
So much has changed in the lives of all three
since winning the gold medal in Paris.
Swanson and Wilson both took time away from soccer to start families. Rodman spent much of last season dealing with injuries before high-profile contract negotiations with the Washington Spirit in the National Women's Soccer League.
It is likely that this year the trio will also reunite on the field for the national team as the United States prepares for Women's World Cup qualifying in November. It's also expected that at some point this season all three will be back playing for their different NWSL teams.
“Obviously them coming back from pregnancy is amazing in itself, and how good Soph is looking already on the field after having her baby is, I don't know, I'm in awe. I'm in awe of all of the moms," Rodman said of her teammates at the recent event in Los Angeles. “I'm so excited for them to be back. Obviously they're on different timelines but I can't wait for the next camp when we're all together.”
Wilson says she plans to play in the Portland Thorns' opener in mid-March and also hopes for minutes with the national team in the SheBelieves Cup tournament earlier that month.
Wilson took last year off from both teams for the birth of her daughter with husband Michael Wilson, a wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals. Gianna was born in September.
“I mean, those are my girls. Even off the field those are my sisters and just being close is important for us,” Wilson said. “I know Mal and I went through a similar journey last year and going through that with someone you’re so close with is so special because it’s such a unique experience and there’s few people in our world that know what we do that also have gone through that at the same time.”
Swanson welcomed daughter Josie with Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson in November and is still in her “newborn bubble” but is working her way back to join the Chicago Stars at some point this season. U.S. coach Emma Hayes also said there was no timeline yet for Swanson’s return to the national team.
“We don't have an exact dates,” Swanson said. “I think it's more about completing phases and just kind of taking it week by week, day by day. Not an exact date yet, but I'm hoping soon.”
Rodman took time away from the game last summer to heal from a nagging back issue, then dealt with other minor injuries to close out the Spirit's season. She played in just one national team match last year.
Rodman became a free agent at the end of the NWSL season and there was speculation about whether the Spirit could keep her given the league's salary cap. She and the Spirit initially agreed to a contract that both sides maintained had complied with the cap, but it was scuttled by the NWSL.
In response, the league introduced the “High Impact Player” mechanism, which allows clubs to go up to $1 million over the cap for players that meet certain criteria. The NWSL Players Association has challenged the rule, claiming that it was not negotiated. The criteria has also been questioned as inequitable for some players.
The fact that all three players remain in the NWSL is key, as there were concerns the league was losing its big stars to Europe, mostly because of the salary restrictions.
Wilson will remain with the Thorns this year after exercising a player option on her contract. Swanson's contract with the Stars runs through 2028. And Rodman's new deal with the Spirit, signed earlier this month after the league's adoption of the HIP rule, is for three years.
Wilson and Swanson watched the national team from afar as Hayes evaluated younger players to solidify the lineup for next year's Women's World Cup in Brazil, as well as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Rodman returned to the team for its recent January camp and captained a young squad to victory against Paraguay.
“It has been fun to see all these new faces on the national team get opportunities, score goals, get first caps. I think that’s so important to create depth in the system,” Wilson said. “And I think it’s exciting just to see kind of how everything’s coming together. I’m honestly just so excited to be back playing with Trin and Mal, because that’s my favorite two people to play with.”
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