Ben Shelton Comforts a Crying Trinity Rodman After NWSL Championship Loss

Ben Shelton was there to support his girlfriend Trinity Rodman after her team was defeated in the NWSL championship.

After Rodman, 23, and the Washington Spirit lost to Gotham FC 1-0 in the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 22, the soccer star sought comfort in Shelton, 23, on the sidelines at PayPal Park in California.

In a video shared on social media, an emotional Rodman is seen burying her head into Shelton as he comforts her with hugs and kisses after the loss. The tennis star rubbed Rodman’s shoulders as they both hung their heads.

Fans of the athletic couple were happy to see Shelton supporting Rodman in the stands. “I’m so glad she has Ben with her there,” wrote one fan.

The championship game marked Rodman’s return to the field following an MCL injury in October. The Olympic gold medalist was only able to start nine games for the Spirit this season between her MCL injury and a back injury earlier this year.

After the loss, Rodman said, “I think I just gave it everything that I had,” while speaking to reporters. “As much as I don’t want to admit it, I still feel like I wasn’t my full self tonight, which sucks,” she continued, adding that this is the second time she’s gone “into a final not feeling myself.”

“So that just makes me sad, but for me, I was just trying to go out there and do what I could,” Rodman said, admitting that she’s “bummed” by the outcome.

When asked for a positive takeaway from the season, Rodman said her team’s close bond comes to mind first.

“Just how close our team became,” Rodman replied, calling the team “a family” who “supported each other in every way” throughout the season. “Times like this, it’s hard,” she continued, “but we have each other, so it makes it so much more worth it.”

Shelton and Rodman confirmed their romance in March 2025, less than two weeks after sparking dating rumors on TikTok, with a post on Instagram.

Rodman also confirmed it on ESPN’s SportsCenter later that month, saying, “So, yeah, I’m obviously very happy and hopefully some of the world’s happy. It’s in the public eye, so I can’t really do much about that.”

But the couple prefer to keep how they met under wraps, even though fellow tennis star Frances Tiafoe seemed to take credit for introducing the athletes.

“I don’t know if I want everyone to know the story [of how we met], but I can assure you Frances [Tiafoe] was not the reason we met or got together. I don’t know why he’s taking credit for that,” she told SportsCenter with a laugh. “Me and Ben can both cut that out. It was solely a me and Ben thing.”