USWNT star Trinity Rodman has revealed her sporting idols, with a World Cup winner and NBA legend looked to for inspiration.

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Grew up watching Olympic heroesNow chasing down goal medal of her ownLooking to inspire the next generationGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Rodman, at just 22 years of age, has become a hero in her own right to countless of soccer hopefuls in the United States. She is plying her trade at the very highest level, with 40 senior caps to her name, and will form part of a gold medal bid at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

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The USWNT last savoured Olympic glory in 2012, with Rodman admiring one of the stars in that side. She has told when asked to pick out childhood favourites: “They’re, honestly, all idols. But specifically, I would say I always touch on Tobin Heath because I feel, like, in her game, she shows a lot of creativity and spunk while also being explosive and fast. You can tell her mind is going a million miles per hour, but when she gets on the ball, everything slows down. It’s amazing to watch. She’s someone I’ve studied a lot.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Pressed further on athletes from other sports that she has looked up to, Rodman – who is the daughter of former Chicago Bulls star Dennis – added: “Kobe Bryant was a big one. And obviously, I had a personal connection with him, so that added to it. He was just…his mentality was like no other. The way that he worked the court, the way that he would toy with defenders. I always preach that being able to play with the defence is a huge part of the game. Kobe was so mentally fit all the time. Even if his team lost, he was winning the one-on-one battle.”

WHAT NEXT?

Rodman will be hoping to do that herself when taking to the field in France. The USWNT are set to get their Olympic gold medal bid underway when taking on Zambia in Nice on Thursday – with new head coach Emma Hayes piecing together a star-studded squad.