NWSL Team of the Week: Trinity Rodman scores late winner as she returns to Washington Spirit with a bang

The regular season of 2025 NWSL ruled after an international break with the second half of the schedule. The competition took a month -long break for international tournaments and competition players participated in competitions all over the world of UEFA Women’s Euro, to ladies African Cup of Nations and Copa America Femenina.

Week 14 in the competition also did not disappoint, with the ruthless Mars from Kansas City to the NWSL -Schild, tightly disputed competitions and dazzling goals. That means it is the perfect time to attack the Team of the Week of Third to launch again.

After weekly competitions during the NWSL campaign of 2025, attacking third analysts select a best XI, head coach and honorary captain based on striking versions at the weekend. With the second half of the season officially underway, the release of 11 players from more than 300 schedules will only become more challenging. If you keep track of who has cracked our earlier line -ups, make sure you refer to us Best XI of week 13.

There is enough to look forward to when the regular season returns, and fans can watch selected NWSL -Regular seasonal competitions on CBS platforms, including CBS, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Let us break the striking artists who have defined NWSL’s triumphant return. View our best XI:

Goalkeeper: Mia Justus (Utah Royals)

Rookie goalkeeper Mia Justus was working this year with a call-up in January with the National Team of American Women, and she made another explanation in her debut on the road. She stood between the posts for a long time during her first regular seasonal performance, and it was not an easy achievement against the ruling champions and shield holders. Although they admit later in the game, her five saves on ten shots and 23 crosses confronted with a point for the royals in Orlando.

Although there were some honorable mentions this week for the goalkeeper, with Laurel Ivory from Seattle Reign’s Claudia Dickey and Kansas City, Justus is taking the bragging home this week.

Defender: Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit)

It was quite the summer for Esme Morgan. Fresh from winning the UEFA ladies -euros from 2025 with England, immediately grabbed Morgan in the line of defense for the Washington Spirit. She played like a champion, flexible in the fluctuating three-back setup of the mind, and was a fixed presence when things were difficult in the last third part.

‘I put Esme Morgan straight in it [team of the week]. We spoke about the trust that came back for Jess Fishlock after Wales [in Euros]. Esme Morgan looked so calm on the ball, loved her playing, literally just won the euros. Standed up in the semi -final. So to get out of the plane immediately and stand up for the mind, I thought she was great, ” Said Jen Beattie when attacking third.

Defender: Phoebe Mcclernon (Seattle Reign FC)

The Seattle scheme was just one of the three teams that achieved a clean slate in week 14, and the Pacific Northwest Club is a lot of praise to defender Phoebe Mcclernon. The middle behind was vocal and confident when she anchored the rule by waves of attack in the first half. Goals in the second half yielded the victory, but the defensive organization held the opposition of the scoreboard while McClernon led the team in the approvals (five) and recovery (eight).

Defender: Kristen Mcnabb (San Diego Wave FC)

The revival of San Diego under head coach Jonas Eidevall is remarkable, and even if the goals has not yet returned for the team, they are still healthy on defensive principles. Veteran Kristen Mcnabb has been performed for the group as a steady presence alongside Rookie Center Back Trinity Armstrong. The experienced defender has a split time with Kennedy Wesley, and this season the quieter work has often done to keep the backline regularly, to step in and out of the role when needed, especially in gritty competitions that end in scoreless Putten.

Defender: Tyler Lussi (North Carolina Courage)

If San Diego receives praise for a defensive version in a scoreless stalemate, the other half of that battle to North Carolina is. Tyler Lussi is no stranger to playing a deeper lying role, blowsing attacks in attacks when needed, and quickly recovering to help with defensive responsibilities, but it was a while since she had to operate as a fullback. All those efforts were completely visible in week 14, and a memory that she is able to play on lines. Is it a team adjustment that could come just in time for a second half push? Stay informed.

Midfielder: Mina Tanaka (Utah Royals)

Half of the pleasure of ringing in the second half of the season is an early glimpse of teams that may play spoiler. Japanese national team player Mina Tanaka made an early statement when she scored against the Orlando Pride in the first five minutes. After he had received a pass from Kaleigh Riehl just beyond half the line, Tanaka took a few touches before he hit the goal of about 30 meters.

Midfielder: Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit)

The former Rookie and midfielder of the year Croix Bethune made her back to play just a few weeks before the competition took his international break in the summer. After week 14 she looks back and ready to break out for the mind. She delivered a handy film on the ball for an assist on Trinity Rodman’s (more about her in a second) winning goal.

Midfielder: Jess Fishlock (Seattle Reign FC)

Welsh International Jess Fishlock comes from a historic summer where Wales made their debut in the Euro 2025. The sweet summer bodies are still high for the midfielder. She brought the spark and experience for the Seattle Reign this week and scored the equalizer and forced her own goal for a game winner.

Forward: Penelope Hocking (Bay FC)

If the competition had a very improved price, Bay FC would lead the race. But that is not, so that means that she quietly puts together an MVP-Kaliber season for her club. She is the most important goal scorer of the team with five goals, and her recent count against Houston Dash is worthy of a top finish and team of the week.

Forward: Love (Kansas City Current)

At this point in her NWSL career, the current attacker Temwa Chawinga from Kansas City is an automatic goal. She scored her ninth goal of the season, and while she follows Golden Boot -leader Esther Gonzalez (10) with one, with target score like this, it seems that Chawinga will be contrary to individual awards along the section of the season.

Forward: Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit)

In a celebration of return at the weekend, there might not have been better Welcome back story then Trinity Rodman. After an absence of almost four months, Rodman fell into the game with only 14 minutes in regulation to offer a spark and then scored the game with the game. More than the three points to launch the Spirit in third place in the rankings were the emotions that the team expressed in the celebration, and by Rodman, who had to work away from the team to rehabilitate her back.

“I did a lot of work behind the scenes alone. I got fit, of course, not in a team environment, which was quite difficult to replicate as well as possible,” Rodman said after the game. “But yes, I worked a lot on my endurance. I worked a lot to get my back to work as it should, and to adjust certain things in the way I moved. So, yes, feels great to be back.”

Coach: Adrian Gonzalez (Washington Spirit)

Adrian Gonzalez was first introduced last year as an interim head coach of the Spirit, after which Jonatan Giraldez took over the middle season and now Giraldez has left to coach Ol Lyonnes. Gonzalez was again monitored to lead the spirit for the rest of the season, and his term of office made it just before the international break. Now the band is all together again, where Rodman returns to the selection, and Gonzalez lets everyone click to start the second half of the season.

Honorary Captain: Rachel Kundananji (Bay FC)

Zambia International Racheal Kundananji gave the assist for the goal of Penelope Hocking for her third assist of the season. It is just one of the ways in which the attacker appears on the score sheet for Bay FC this year. Despite ruthless versions, she has only one goal at 38 shots this season, but it has not delayed her efforts.

“I will always like to view Racheal Kundananji,” said Jen Beattie when attacking third. “Ze veroorzaakte chaos in die frontlinie, kon gewoon haar doel niet krijgen, toch? Had meerdere kansen; ze had beide posten, maar het was toen ze voor de tweede keer de paal raakte, glimlachte en deed een voorwaartse rol, en ik dacht gewoon. ‘Dat is iemand die van hun voetbal geniet,’ leidt het bijvoorbeeld, ze werkt het bijvoorbeeld, ze werkt het bijvoorbeeld, het goede werk, ze is zo ongelooflijk hard, ze is mijn kapitein van de week. ‘