Sports

USWNT Stock Up, Stock Down: Trinity Rodman Is Surging Back to Her Best

By Theo Lloyd-Hughes Sports Illustrated

Welcome back to your weekly feature from Sports Illustrated that analyzes the women's soccer weekend from a U.S. women's national team perspective.



The last time we were discussing the latest trends in the USWNT player pool was after the Brazil friendlies in June. Missed that? Check it out here.

What a weekend it was for the National Women's Soccer League. After a five-week break for the start of the men's World Cup, hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, the NWSL officially returned to action.

With European leagues on summer break, the spotlight was fully on the NWSL. Let's take a look at who saw their stock rise and fall this past weekend.

Stock Up

Trinity Rodman

Is Trinity Rodman having her best NWSL season ever? It is starting to look that way, and after an offseason that was dominated by her record contract talks, this is quite the way to take the mantle as the NWSL's biggest star.

Rodman got just her third-ever NWSL brace for the Washington Spirit in the 2–1 win over the Houston Dash, which brings her goals total for the season up to five. That brings her level with her total from the injury-laden 2025 season, and now just three behind her career-best total of eight in the regular season.

But Rodman has always been more than a scorer of goals. She dominates key areas and lives for the big moments. Rodman's second goal of the night was a clutch strike in the 94th minute to seal the win. Rodman also won a penalty kick when she was clean through on goal before Avery Patterson brought her down. There was a freshness and an intensity to her game that showed she is surging back to her best.

Ashley Sanchez

Leading up to the 2026 season, very few people would have predicted that Ashley Sanchez not only would be moving back into the USWNT conversation but also would be moving into the NWSL MVP conversation too.

Sanchez picked up another brace in the NC Courage's 3–1 win over the Seattle Reign, bringing her season goal total to a career high of nine. Both goals featured simple but deft finishes from inside the box, but the 27-year-old attacking midfielder gets extra credit for winning the ball on the press and creating the chance in the first place.

Pietra Tordin

Who doesn't love a young player taking a second-year leap? NWSL sophomore Pietra Tordin added a goal and an assist to her 2026 tally in the Portland Thorns' 4–0 beatdown of Racing Louisville.

Tordin has now matched her rookie goal total of four from the 2025 season in 10 fewer matches (14 in 2026, 24 in 2025). She is up to six assists this year, which is the most in the league.

It is Tordin's work as a creator that makes her one to keep an eye on for the USWNT frontline. Against Racing, the 22-year-old won the header in the box on a set piece to tee up Jayden Perry. While she may remain a U23 player for now, that sort of all-around game is valuable.

Stock Down

Eva Gaetino

Friday night's 3–0 loss to the KC Current was one to forget for Eva Gaetino and the Denver Summit. The 23-year-old was at the heart of almost everything that went wrong for Denver and was at fault for two of the goals. This was a weekend in the danger of the press.

The first goal of the game saw Gaetino sloppily cough up possession as she was carrying the ball in her own half. The Current quickly burst down the field and scored. Then, for KC's second goal, Gaetino made the same mistake again, even closer to her box, which resulted in the defender dragging down Temwa Chawinga, conceding a penalty and earning a yellow card.

Lilly Reale

It has been an eventful summer for Lilly Reale, who was transferred from Gotham FC to Boston Legacy during the break. The 22-year-old defender made her debut for her new club in their 2–2 home draw against Bay FC last weekend.

Never judge a player by their debut, but it certainly showed that Reale could have a learning curve playing in green. Legacy manager Filipa Patão opted to use Reale as a left wingback in a rarely seen 3-1-4-2 formation. It was an uncomfortable start for Reale, who looked a bit positionally lost on Bay's second goal of the afternoon, where a lofted through ball outsmarted her and her defensive partner, Laís Araújo, on the inside.

Once Reale gets to know her teammates and her manager's preferred tactics, there's a chance she could get back on the right track to fighting for a spot on Emma Hayes's roster.

Ally Sentnor

From one American who made a summer transfer move to another. This past weekend, Ally Sentnor made her debut and played 80 minutes for Angel City in their 2–0 win over the Orlando Pride. The 22-year-old transferred to Los Angeles from Kansas City for an $850,000 transfer fee. It is her third team in less than a year, after she switched from the Utah Royals to KC in August 2025.

Again, it can take time to adjust to a new team and find your rhythm. Sentnor will need time to bed into the Angel City attack with just one blocked shot, one effort swiped wide and zero chances created; this wasn't a performance of high-volume or high-quality forward play. Sentnor wasn't involved in either of Angel City's goals but did have some good dribbles in the match.

More NWSL from Sports Illustrated



This article was originally published on www.si.com as USWNT Stock Up, Stock Down: Trinity Rodman Is Surging Back to Her Best.

Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 12:10 PM.

Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER