Here’s How Dennis Rodman’s Daughter Made History Within Seconds Of Going Pro

When sports fans hear the name Rodman, most will think of a particular nimble-footed star who excels at his game. But there’s a new Rodman in town, and it’s none other than legendary NBA player Dennis’ daughter Trinity. And the young woman made history within minutes of her professional debut – proving she’s a chip off the old block when it comes to sporting talent!

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For a man as notoriously outspoken and direct as Dennis Rodman, he’s surprisingly tightlipped when it comes to his kids. It’s perhaps understandable, though, that the man with such a colorful and turbulent history would continue to generate interest in his own life. After all, the NBA legend continues to create headlines of his own decades after he first became famous.

Source Of Pride

Dennis’ children are, of course, a source of pride for the five-time NBA champion. For instance, in June 2019 he posted a retrospective picture with his son DJ and daughter Trinity on Instagram with the word “blessings.” But Dennis is clearly delighted with his daughter’s sporting achievements, too.

Following In His Footsteps

In March 2020 Dennis shared another image on Instagram of Trinity playing soccer. It accompanied a screen shot of a report detailing his daughter’s performance and was captioned simply, “Congratulations to my daughter [Trinity]. I love you very much.” Yep, it seems the teenager is on her way to following in her father’s footsteps.

Top Of His Game

And who wouldn’t want to emulate a career as illustrious as Dennis’? The basketball star was, of course, at the top of his game throughout the ’90s, which popular Netflix series The Last Dance went some way to reminding its viewers in 2020.

Rags To Riches Story

By all accounts, Dennis’ story is one of rags to riches. He was raised by a single mom, as his dad left when he was only three years old. Times were tough in the poverty-stricken Oak Cliff area of Dallas, where the future basketball star grew up. But as a shy and awkward kid, he never strayed too far from a basketball court...

Odd Jobs

Dennis told Sports Illustrated in 1988 that his mother believed her two daughters were better at basketball than him. Then, she essentially kicked him out the house after he finished high school aged 18. So, the young man took up a number of jobs as an airport handler and a staffer at 7-Eleven. But Dennis made sure to hit the court every day.

Noticed By The NBA

It was only when Dennis had an eight-inch growth spurt that he considered basketball as a profession. He subsequently enrolled at Cooke County Junior College, and people soon started to pay attention. By 1986 the 25-year-old Dennis was knocking on the door of the NBA.

Championships With The Bulls

And the rest, as they say, is history. As Dennis’ points average and honors grew, so did his confidence. After seven seasons with the Detroit Pistons, the basketball ace served a further two years with the San Antonio Spurs. But it was, of course, his three seasons – and championships – with the Chicago Bulls that marked Dennis as a basketball legend.

Image Of The '90s

It seems, then, that Dennis’ sporting greatness is something that his daughter has inherited. Where does Trinity fit into the picture, though? Well, Dennis became just as identifiable to non-sports fans as NBA aficionados throughout the ’90s – largely due to his antics off court. He often displayed shocking hair dyes, but his private life was just as colorful.

Whirlwind Romance

Dennis was reportedly involved in a high-profile relationship with pop superstar Madonna in 1994. The two enjoyed a two-month whirlwind romance, and during this time the latter apparently encouraged Dennis to “build his brand.” Yet just as the tattoos and piercings notched up, so too did the romances.

Tough Love

In brief, Dennis had already been married before he hooked up with Madonna. The basketball ace had dated Annie Bakes since 1987 and they welcomed a daughter called Alexis a year later. The couple eventually married in September 1992, but they divorced less than three months later amid accusations of infidelity and abuse.

Toxic Relationships

After Madonna, Dennis married again – this time to actress and model Carmen Electra in 1998. Though the sports star claimed to be of “unsound mind” during the nuptials and tried to get the union annuled. They divorced after six months and unsuccessful attempts to reconcile. According to Sports Illustrated, Carmen said being "Rodman’s girlfriend” was an “occupational hazard.” Ouch.

Some Stability At Last

A little stability came in the shape of Michelle Moyer later in 1999. It was this partnership that produced D.J. in 2001 and Trinity a year later. And while the couple’s marriage eventually ended the following decade, it seems Dennis’ sporting talents were inherited by his kids.

Sports In The Blood

It might be safe to assume Dennis’ kids would end up playing basketball. That’s certainly the path that D.J. took, though Trinity had other ideas. The youngster tried basketball for a while, but that came more from the influence of her older brother. Instead, Trinity’s chosen sport was soccer.

Trying To Make It Work

Trinity has no idea if her father ever took part in soccer. But D.J. tried it and apparently struggled to control the ball with his feet. As she explained to The Guardian in April 2021, “It was funny because I really wanted [D.J.] to like soccer just like he wanted me to like basketball but we were both like, ‘Nope, this isn’t gonna work.’”

Heading To The Pros

D.J. is busy following in his father’s footsteps on the basketball court for Washington State. And Trinity’s making a name of her own, too. In fact, she’s been able to bypass the traditional route for female soccer players in the U.S. and head straight to the pro leagues.

Not Waiting

American female soccer players take the college path before drafting to the national teams or heading to Europe after graduation. But Trinity couldn’t wait. The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) wouldn’t take her until she’d drafted into a college team, though. So, she signed up to Washington State University.

Disrupted Schedules

Sadly, the global pandemic disrupted a lot of sports schedules in 2020 – including Trinity’s start with Washington State University. Though the youngster performed incredibly well on the women’s under 20s national soccer team, and she helped them take the Concacaf title that March. It was also enough to grab the attention of coaches in the NWSL.

Just The Beginning

In January 2021 Trinity became the youngest ever player to have been selected for the NWSL. That’s right: she was the second draft pick for Washington Spirit and etched her own name into the history books. But – and perhaps this is to be expected when you have the surname “Rodman” – the records didn’t end there.

Big Goal

It was April 10 when Trinity made her debut on the pitch. Washington Spirit was taking on the North Carolina Courage in a closely fought match between the two NWSL teams. And less than five minutes after leaving the bench, the youngster received a long pass and deftly scored a goal.

Making History

Yet it wasn’t only Trinity’s first accolade as a professional soccer player. In fact, the achievement marks her as the youngest goal scorer in NWSL history. What is perhaps even more exciting is that even the Washington Spirit coach Richie Burke doesn’t think the world has seen the youngster’s full potential yet!

No Surprise

As if to prove her debut was no fluke, Trinity was in the starting lineup for her next game and became standout player of the match. What’s more, she helped set up the winning goal. Nevertheless, Richie told the Goal website, “I’m not surprised how well she’s done. I’m not surprised that she’s taken to professional football the way she has.”

Prodigious Talent

Richie continued, “[Trinity is] 18 years of age. She’s a prodigious talent. She’s unbelievably athletic, she’s got a fantastic attitude.” Also, teammate and co-captain Tori Huster has credited the teen with a talent beyond her years. The latter said, “I forget how old she is until somebody says that she’s 18. I’m like, there’s no way she’s 18. Someone lied about her age!”

Moving Up A Level

For her part, Trinity paid tribute to those teammates who helped bring her game up to the pro level. She told Goal, “It’s definitely a lot faster, girls are a lot stronger, a lot more intelligent at this level and I think just getting advice from my teammates in scrimmages and practices [has helped].” But there’s someone on the sidelines the teenager hails as her biggest supporter. And, interestingly, it’s not her legendary father!

Raised By Mom

Naturally, talk quickly turned to Dennis when discussing the Rodman teen. But let’s not forget that Trinity was mostly raised by her mother Michelle. And it was she who spotted her daughter’s soccer potential at a young age.

From Day One

As Michelle recalled to The Guardian, “In elementary school, I will never forget, she was so intense and so serious about the game. She would come off to the sidelines and just cry, like, ‘Why isn’t anybody else trying?’ She would just run up and down that field, like she still does today, because she was used to nobody else trying.”

Passion To Strive

It’s a mindset Trinity remembers clearly from the age of four. She told sports channel ESPN in January 2021, “Honestly, I noticed from a really young age that I was going to stick with it for a while, just because if my team wasn’t really trying... I’d get super annoyed and I would be like, ‘C’mon, c’mon, c’mon.’

Addressing The Reality

And while Trinity credits her father for the athletic genes, it’s the family matriarch she thanks for everything else. As the teenager told The Guardian, “Having a dad like I do, no one asks about my mom because she’s obviously not an NBA star.” Though it’s an imbalance that the soccer star wants to address.

Role Model

Trinity continued, “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. I don’t think people know how close we are and, even though she wasn’t in the NBA, she has an extremely competitive and driven mindset, and she’s an extremely strong woman. She’s my role model.”

Pro-Level Mindset

It seems that Trinity has inherited her mother’s drive and competitiveness in spades. She told The Guardian, “My mind was already [in the pro league] before I even went to college. But then as soon as I got there I realized that I could totally be pushed to a higher level.”

Taking The Opportunity

Trinity continued, “Why wouldn’t you want to take an opportunity to get better than you would have in college?” And it’s a challenge the teenager is taking in her stride. The level-headed youngster doesn’t appear to think she’s “made it” in sports. Instead Trinity is taking her position as an opportunity to learn as much as she can about her craft.

Playing With Her Head

This dedication to the sport is not lost on Trinity’s Washington Spirit coach, either. Richie Burke told Goal, “She takes on board things tactically very, very well. She’s always asking questions and she’s always going to try and get that last little bit of knowledge of what we’re looking for. She’s always looking at video, so while that continues I think we’re in a really good place with her.”

Knowing The Difference

Refreshingly, Trinity understands that it’s not all about showmanship and bravado in soccer. There’s skill in giving up the ball and creating opportunities for her teammates. And it’s Trinity’s mental steel that has apparently seen drastic improvements.

At Only 18

Trinity told Goal, “Coming in at 18 years old, you’re used to giving the ball up and just jogging. But I’ve improved a lot in the sense of giving the ball up and finding another space to show. I think just knowing that I can be just as effective off the ball as I can on the ball is a huge part [of my success].”

Unpredictable

Though it’s when Trinity’s in possession of the ball that she wants to make the biggest impression. The sports star revealed to The Guardian, “I want to be funky on the ball and do weird tricks and be deceptive. I want people to be able to see Trinity Rodman as somebody who is unpredictable on the ball and who they’ll never know what she’s going to do.”

Getting It From Dad?

So, perhaps the teenager does share some of Dennis’ flamboyance after all. But for now, Trinity is happy enough trying to perfect her game. She told ESPN, “My goal is to just grow as an individual, as a player, as a teammate, as a colleague, everything. The biggest goal for me right now is to grow as a player and adapt to who I am playing with and just take my soccer playing style to the next level.”

Dealing With The Pressure

Naturally, the Rodman name brings with it a certain weight of expectation in the sports world and beyond. Though Trinity’s teammates and coaches certainly believe she’s the real deal. But how does the young talent deal with the pressure that comes with her surname? Well, it’s something she takes in her 5-foot 10-inch stride.

Lighting Her Own Fire

The Dennis Rodman connection is one Trinity described as putting a fire under her. She told The Guardian, “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 [Dennis] Rodman’s daughter. I’m excited to pave my own path and get better throughout this journey.”