Once the game was final, after she had rallied the crowd and celebrated with her teammates and shared an emotional hug with her captain, Trinity Rodman ran to Michele Kang.
The star and the owner have been on quite the journey this year. Rodman wanted to stay in D.C. with the Spirit. Kang wanted to make that happen, which meant giving her the biggest contract in league history – one that caused a brief labor battle, set the global market for superstars and ultimately reshaped the rules of the NWSL. They both had been hoping that saga might eventually lead somewhere like this.
Another trip to the NWSL Championship, this one with Rodman healthier and more productive than she has been in years, with the Spirit hitting its stride at just the right time and prepared to host the final next week at Audi Field.
“I think when I first jumped on her, she was like, ‘Who the hell is jumping on me right now?’” Rodman laughed afterward of her moment with Kang. “Because no one would ever dare.”
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Or, at least, no one but Rodman.
The Spirit’s 2-1 semifinal win over the Royals was a collective effort by necessity. For the second week in a row, 21-year-old Clara Luvanga scored the game-winner, with the newcomer continuing to establish herself as a uniquely fast and powerful component of this attack. The defense was not rattled after conceding a freakishly quick early goal to Utah. Team captain Andi Sullivan, playing in her first postseason in five years, anchored the midfield and served as a crucial steadying presence.
Yet even in a cohesive, comprehensive team win, so much of this action hinged on Rodman. She led the Spirit in both touches and duels won. She provided the assist on the equalizer, driving toward the net before expertly pivoting to feed Sofia Cantore, who stood ready and waiting. Rodman shifts the center of gravity on the field.
Washington has entered this postseason with notable depth and balance on its roster. But there is no one quite like its star, who is fully healthy in the postseason for the first time in years, driving a team with its sights on a championship.
“Just — I’m a lot happier,” Rodman said of the difference between this year and last year. “I’m a lot more grateful for how much I’ve been able to play and contribute.”
This semifinal did not play out like the quarterfinal, in which the Spirit jumped out to an early lead and soon made the game into a raucous, fun-filled party at Audi Field. Here, Washington fell behind in the first two minutes, with Utah scoring an “Olimpico” straight off a corner kick. It was the first time the Spirit had trailed at home in over a month.
“I don’t think it really shook us,” Spirit defender Esme Morgan said. “We knew that nothing changed in terms of how we would approach the game.”
The group proceeded accordingly. Minutes later, they had equalized, with Rodman feeding Cantore.
“The way that we’ve been pressing, the way that we’ve been attacking, even though sometimes it’s not the most high-quality, we’re continuing to get chances,” Rodman said. “It’s been really good for us.”
The game stayed tied into the second half. But that consistent attack soon delivered again.
This time, it was Luvanga, who swooped in to capitalize on a misplay from Utah and sent one past Royals keeper Mandy McGlynn. Luvanga has been with the Spirit for scarcely two months. Acquired from the Saudi Women’s Premier League in September, she was able to make just two starts in the regular season before jumping in to play a huge role for the playoffs. The striker offers a blend of speed and strength that have changed the entire attack for the Spirit.
“She’s able to attract a lot of pressure,” Spirit coach Adrián González said. “That opens space for all the players. Being able to play behind her physicality is a huge advantage.”
Washington finished with 42 touches in the opposing box compared to just 14 for Utah.
This makes three consecutive trips to the championship game for the Spirit. Each of the previous two ended in a loss. This one has felt different. Each of the previous two required at least one trip to extra time in the quarterfinals or semifinals: By comparison, Washington has breezed through its playoff run so far, triggering far less nail-biting. The past losses have made this group hungrier, but they have made it calmer, too. Nothing is unfamiliar anymore for the Spirit.
“We’ve lived that experience,” González said. “I think that can give you a little bit of advantage… We’ve learned from the past, and I think we’re more prepared with the way that we want to approach the final.”
And there is one more key difference. This championship match will be played at home for them. While the NWSL has its clubs play at home for the quarterfinals and semifinals, the championship is held at a predetermined site, announced months in advance. This one has long been circled for Audi Field.
Over the past few weeks, Spirit players and staff have downplayed that. They wanted to play for a championship at home, of course, but they made sure to say all the right things. Staying in the moment. Playing one match at a time. Not taking anything for granted. But after the win on Saturday, there is just one match left, and nothing left to take for granted.
“When it gets announced, you obviously think, God, you want to be in that game,” Spirit goalkeeper Sandy MacIver said. “But you’ve got to try to keep it out of sight and out of mind. To be actually in that game now is something that I think we can use and really enjoy. It’s not often you can host a championship.”
This, too, was something that Rodman had discussed with Kang, something they hoped for as they figured out a shared future. The Spirit won its first and only championship in 2021 — when Rodman was a rookie and Kang was a minority owner. But the club has changed significantly in the last few years. That has included beginning to play full-time at Audi Field, and building an impressive, noisy advantage on its home field. Kang has taken over as majority owner. Rodman has become a league-defining superstar. They wanted to win another one together. Now, they will get the chance to accomplish that at home.
And so while the pair embraced, Spirit players and staffers milling about with cheers and hugs, Morgan addressed the crowd through the microphone:
“We’ll see you next weekend!”
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