Trinity Rodman Earns New Nickname From Boyfriend Ben Shelton After Her Big Injury Return
Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman made a successful return to the field against the Portland Thorns on Sunday, and her boyfriend, tennis star Ben Shelton, couldn't be prouder of her.
Prior to the game, Rodman last played for the Spirit on April 12 against Racing Louisville FC. She didn't finish the contest and left at halftime, eventually taking some time away from the team to deal with her nagging back injury.
The 23-year-old only returned to team activities in early July amid the international break, paving the way for her August return.
Rodman Saves Spirit, Impresses Her Tennis Star Boyfriend
Rodman naturally came in as a substitute, entering the match in the 76th minute. It didn't take long for her to make an impact, as she delivered the match-winner.
In the 92nd minute, with the Spirit and Thorns tied at 1-1 after their first-half goals, Rodman found the top of the net with a close-range shot. The ball bounced her way after midfielder Courtney Brown sent a cross from the left side and another Washington teammate, Croix Bethune, deflected it to catch Portland by surprise.
The unmarked Rodman took advantage of the opportunity and fired home her winner with a brilliant first touch.
After her performance, fans were naturally thrilled for Rodman. Many even got emotional, considering the tough journey she had to go through before she could return.
For his part, Shelton took to his Instagram Stories to react to his girlfriend's performance and heroic effort. Aside from expressing disbelief at what Rodman did, Shelton also gave a new nickname to the Spirit scorer.
"Plays 15 mins first game back and scores a banger," Shelton wrote before calling Rodman, "The truth."
Ben Shelton and Trinity Rodman's Relationship History
It hasn't been long since Rodman and Shelton confirmed their relationship. In early March this year, the two had a flirty interaction on TikTok and then hard launched each other on Instagram just 10 days later, per People.
Ever since then, they have been open about their support for each other. In fact, amid Rodman's recovery from her back injury, she attended some of Shelton's tennis matches.
Shelton, who is popular in tennis circles since he's the current world No. 7 in the ATP rankings, played at Wimbledon last July. During a showdown with Rinky Hijikata, he went viral after photos of Rodman staring at him endearingly surfaced.
While the two haven't publicly revealed how they met, they continue to show their love and affection for each other on social media. By the looks of it, that won't end any time soon.This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
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