Why do USWNT stars Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson keep missing USA soccer camps?

The U.S. women’s national team and head coach Emma Hayes will play their first games of the year as they host the 2025 SheBelieves Cup later this month. The group will look to win the competition against Australia, Colombia, and Japan without the attacking trio of Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman, and Sophia Wilson (née Smith). 

Hayes named a 23-player roster, including three training players, and it includes a mix of Americans playing abroad in Europe and NWSL players in preseason form. The absence of the front line of “Triple Espresso” isn’t new, this will be their third consecutive absence from a camp dating back to November friendlies in 2024. While there’s concern around the consistent omissions, there’s a larger, more strategic plan for Hayes.

“The way I view it is, I just control what I can control. So they’re not available. So I don’t have to think about it,” Hayes quipped during her press conference.

“Of course, I would love those players to be with us, but they’re not. So what an opportunity it is for everyone else to develop as a result of that. I’d rather take these learnings now than I would say, six months in the lead-up to a major tournament. I want to be in a position where I see how long it takes for players to actually settle into the national team level. And there’s plenty of research that says it takes a minimum of about six camps per player. 

“So us developing the WNT side by side with the under-23’s for the whole of this year, starting from April, we’re going to consistently develop 50-plus players every international break. And for me, that’s an opportunity and one that we must maximize.”

So it’s not injuries?

As the SheBelieves Cup roster dropped, there were added notes on the absent players. Rodman, still regaining her fitness as she rehabs her back injury, Swanson (personal commitments), and Wilson (not physically ready for national team competition). 

While Hayes is hard at work expanding the player pool, cranking back up the U-23 program, and launching a new strategy there’s still general concern for injury and preseason form. Most will remember Rodman’s last on-pitch performance during the 2024 NWSL Championship with the Washington Spirit, a 1-0 loss to Orlando Pride, where the winger spent large periods of the game trying to stretch out her back.

Her back injuries have flared up during her young career, and the 22-year-old has earned some extended time away, especially as back issues can be tricky. She’s not completely absent though as Rodman spoke with reporters last month during NWSL Media Day about how helpful the time off has been.

“It was a much-needed reset. I had a very good offseason. I didn’t get on a plane and go anywhere. I stayed, finally, for I think, the longest time that I have in like three years. So it was really good,” she told media.

Along with getting extensive physical therapy for her back, she spent time with her family and just tried to be present in the moment. Her conversations with Hayes about needing the extra time away have happened regularly.

“She’s been so receptive to everything that I’ve said, and even she goes out of her way to reach out to me to ask how I’m doing, and just to let me know that they’re working behind the scenes to get people to be able to help with my back, just because it is a hard location of injury because with sports you’re kind of used to the knee-down injuries. 

So yeah, it’s been really nice. She’s very supportive and very considerate to all of us, which is amazing … And the offseason helped a lot. I didn’t have to play every week, so that was nice. I really got to reset and rest. So yeah, just focused on building that slowly and not just jumping right back into things and doing it the right way, because I have time.”

What is preseason form?

Most NWSL players are currently in the beginning stages of preseason with their club teams. But for Wilson and Swanson, there’s the added layer of limited conditioning in the offseason to focus on recuperation. For Wilson, that also included getting married (she’s no longer going by Smith) and with an absence of multiple team camps at this point, it’s better not to toss players into a ring of fire. 

While Wilson gets acclimated with the Thorns during preseason, Swanson’s personal commitments have also kept her out of the preseason with Chicago Stars FC. U.S. Soccer didn’t provide details, likely since it is personal, though she did issue a statement with her Chicago Stars club, and the team also editorialized on her statement in their preseason roster announcement. 

“I’d like to thank the club and the fans for their understanding during this time. I appreciate the kindness and encouragement from my teammates and all the Stars staff and hope to be back with the team and playing in front of our fans as soon as I can,” Swanson said in a release. 

“As always, the Chicago Stars organization stands ready to provide Mallory whatever support she needs, both on and off the pitch, and we will be ready to welcome her back with open arms whenever she is ready to return,” read the club release.

All in line with strategy

Perhaps not ideal to have the entire starting attacking line miss a third consecutive camp, but a combination of injury concerns, preseason form, and strategy have each lined up at the same time. For Hayes, it’s in line with more of what her staff has planned for the program moving forward and expects the players who were called in to make the most of their chance this window.

“For those less experienced players, or not, that are getting their opportunities, it’s up to them to impress. It’s up to them to put themselves in a position. And this is the message I would give the team — you have to make it so difficult for me every month. You have to make it impossible for me to put together a roster. 

“But you know, when you come into these situations, you have to grab it with both hands, you have to display the growth mindsets that’s required to be at this level, and then you have to demonstrate that in both your training and on the field. Because I believe we have a great group of players to build around, and I want them to take — whomever’s in this squad — to take it with both hands and really relish the opportunity.”