Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman made an emotional return to the field for the first time in nearly four months on Sunday, scoring late in the game in a 2-1 win over Portland Thorns FC.

Rodman entered the match, which was Washington’s first NWSL game since June due to the summer break, in the 76th minute to a rousing ovation from the home crowd at Audi Field.

The game was tied 1-1 when she came on, but Rodman proved to be the difference maker in the match, pouncing on a loose ball at the far post and smashing a volley past Thorns keeper Mackenzie Arnold in second-half stoppage time.

The 2024 Olympic gold medalist, who was visibly emotional after scoring the winner, has struggled with a recurring back injury over the past year that has limited her appearances for club and country.

Rodman’s only game for the USWNT since the Olympics last summer came on April 5. She scored just over five minutes into that 2-0 victory and faked a back injury as part of her celebration.

But one week later, she was sidelined again while playing for the Spirit. She left that NWSL game on April 12 and soon departed Washington, D.C., for evaluation and treatment in London. Rodman rehabbed individually before returning to the Spirit for training in mid-July during the NWSL’s summer break.

Last week, Rodman told reporters that she is “still gonna be Trin,” but added she would be more mindful of how she throws around her body in the future.

“I’m still gonna be intense, and I’m still gonna give it 100% all the time, but I think there’s parts of my game where I need to save energy or adjust to certain tackles, and I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job with that so far coming back in training,” she said.

Rodman had previously said that her back might never be 100% again.

Washington head coach Adrián González said ahead of the game that the team would be “careful” with how it manages Rodman’s return. Rodman played through pain in late 2024 as the Spirit finished second in the league and runners-up in the playoffs.

Rodman has developed into one of the NWSL’s and USWNT’s biggest stars. She is in the final months of her contract, and she told ESPN earlier this year that a move to Europe is a matter of when, not if.