Trinity Rodman’s US Open moment exposes an old habit in sports broadcasting: featuring women first by their relationships

Ben Shelton and Trinity Rodman. Image via: Getty Images Trinity Rodman was sitting in Ben Shelton’s players’ box at the US Open on Tuesday when the cameras found her.The ESPN commentary that followed introduced her as “Trinity Rodman, also known as Ben Shelton’s girlfriend and also a member of the US Women’s National Team.” The graphic on the screen was arranged similarly: “Ben’s girlfriend and a USWNT player.”Rodman is, of course, Shelton’s girlfriend. The two tennis and soccer stars went public with their relationship in March 2025 after Rodman slipped into Shelton’s DMs. Shelton, 23, is one of the leading players in American tennis, a left-handed shooter who reached a career-high world ranking of five at the end of 2025 and has already won four ATP titles in 2026, including the National Bank Open two weeks before the US Open.But Rodman has spent much of her career becoming recognizable without him.The 24-year-old is an Olympic gold medalist, NWSL champion and the highest-paid female soccer player in the world. She is also the daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, another fact that has often accompanied her introduction of her own.

Soccer player Trinity Rodman celebrates after her friend Ben Shelton of the United States wins her match against Hubert Hurkacz of Poland during the second round of the US Open tennis championships on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

ESPN’s description drew a familiar reaction from fans online, especially since there was no shortage of stuff from Rodman’s own career that could have been used instead.“Jeez… she’s so much more than Ben’s girlfriend,” one fan wrote.Another put it more bluntly: “Trin is an Olympic gold medalist, NWSL player and then Ben’s girlfriend. In that order.”

Rodman’s career doesn’t need Shelton’s name attached to it

Rodman’s football career began long before she became a fixture in the Shelton box.The Washington Spirit selected her as the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NWSL draft when she was 18, making her the youngest player ever to be selected. She won the league’s Rookie of the Year award and helped Washington win the NWSL Championship in her first season.Three years later, she created one of the defining moments of her international career.In the 2024 Paris Olympics final, Rodman scored in overtime against Japan as the United States won women’s soccer gold for the first time since 2012. She now has 13 goals in 57 games for the USWNT.At club level, her value grew just as quickly. Rodman became the first player signed under the NWSL’s High Impact Player rule, agreeing to a landmark deal with Washington worth more than $1 million per season through 2028, making her the league’s highest-paid player.

FILE – Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman in action during the second half of an NWSL soccer match against Portland Thorns FC, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams, File)

There’s also the matter of her last name, which brought its own conjectures.Rodman has been open about her complicated relationship with her father, rejecting the idea that the name defines her.“It’s not Dad. Maybe by blood, but nothing else,” she continued Call her dad.“I love my last name, and when I say Rodman, it’s not my father’s name, it’s my name.She was less defensive about being known as Shelton’s partner. In fact, Rodman said she actually likes the term JOKERthough he acknowledges why some people don’t like it.“For me, I think I personally like the term because, as I said before, I feel like I’m in front of the cameras 24/7, so I think I use the term WAG to simplify what I do,” she said on the website I won’t lie with Kylie Kelce in August.“For me, when I say WAG, it’s me when I say, ‘I’m Ben’s girlfriend.’ But I understand why it’s so hated.”She described being able to share the experience with Shelton as “the best feeling in the world” and pointed to the fact that they are both constantly training, competing and exhausting themselves in the sport they love.That resolution matters. Rodman choosing to embrace this brand is not the same as the most helpful way to present it.

It’s already happened

The US Open moment wasn’t the first time Rodman’s identity was filtered through those around her.At Wimbledon in 2025, she was introduced during one of Shelton’s matches as “Tiffany” and mentioned her father in the same breath.This time the mistake was different. Her name was correct, her relationship was real, and her soccer career was recognized. Still, the order still said something: Ben’s girlfriend first, USWNT player second.

Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman shoots as Seattle Reign FC midfielder Samantha Meza (right) looks on during the first half of an NWSL soccer match Sunday, May 10, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

There was plenty of room for another introduction.Rodman wasn’t just another celebrity sitting in the tennis players’ box. She was an Olympic champion and watched another elite American athlete compete in one of the greatest sporting events in the world.She may be Ben Shelton’s girlfriend. She may be Dennis Rodman’s daughter. She can even cheerfully call herself a WAG.None of these things require that her own accomplishments come second.At 24, Trinity Rodman has built a career significant enough to stand on her own. At the US Open, she happened to be there to support someone else.For once she deserved the spotlight without having to be introduced through it.