Trinity Rodman set the tone for the Washington Spirit’s 4-1 quarterfinal win over the Thorns by taking the ball from Carolyn Calzada, creating Melissa Bethi’s goal and then scoring twice. Clara Luvanga is tied to the wider NWSL quarterfinal conversation, but Rodman’s night was the cleanest breakout in the round.
The assist and two goals mattered because Rodman had not had a postseason goal or assist since she fed Kelley O’Hara for the 2021 NWSL Championship-winning goal. In this match, she moved from the first decisive action to the last scoring touch, and nearly finished with a hat trick.
Washington Spirit quarterfinal surge
Rodman’s opening sequence came from a turnover, then a cross, then a finish. She stripped Calzada, delivered a deft ball to Bethi and immediately put Washington ahead in the kind of play that changes a playoff game before the opponent settles in.
She later added a pair of goals in the 4-1 win. That left the Thorns chasing the match while Washington kept control of the scoring line from the first breakthrough through the final whistle.
Clara Luvanga and the playoff round
The quarterfinal round also included an upset by the Royals in their playoff debut, and the week ended the run for Jess Fishlock. Those results put Rodman’s performance in the middle of a round that already produced a sharp swing in the bracket.
For Washington, the immediate takeaway is simple: Rodman ended a postseason drought that dated to 2021 and did it in a knockout match, with an assist and two goals against the Thorns. How far the Washington Spirit advanced after the quarterfinal win is not stated in the source.
