Trinity Rodman expects 'ruthless' USWNT to win third successive World Cup as she outlines 'legacy' mission to separate herself from her NBA legend father

• Rodman believes USWNT will triumph
• Emphasized the team's ruthless nature
• Wants to carve her own legacy in sports

WHAT HAPPENED? The United States women's national team forward believes that the team's relentless pursuit of success will result in their third consecutive World Cup triumph this summer. Following a 2-0 friendly win over Wales, where Rodman scored both goals, she expressed her confidence in the team's abilities to lift the trophy in August.

WHAT THEY SAID: "My expectations are that we're the most ruthless team, we're never going to give up and we're going to get the title," she told ESPN's Futbol Americas.

"Obviously the team has changed so much over the last couple of World Cups, even the past couple of months, but this team is something special. We want it more than ever, so I expect a gold medal."

However, she also fired a warning to fans that they should not expect the tournament to be a stroll in the park for the USWNT.

"I think with this team that everyone expects success obviously based off the past," Rodman added. "But there are a lot of new players and a lot of connections that need to be built for the first game, so it's just the pressure of doing well. It's a lot harder than people think. [People think:] you guys should be blowing these teams out or should be winning, and it's a lot harder than that. I think with, the diversity and change has been difficult, but honestly for me, this is my first World Cup, so there may be less expectations for me because I've never been in this position."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Rodman hails from a sporting background as she is the daughter of NBA legend Dennis Rodman, who boasts of winning five championships and featured twice in the NBA All-Star team. However, the young forward wants to establish her own legacy distinct from her "wild child" father.

"My dad made a lot of mistakes through his career," she said. "I don't want to say the wild child, but he was. I think being a woman coming from the Rodman name, coming from the NBA legacy of Dennis Rodman, it was important [that] I didn't want the comments of she's only here because of that. She's only here because there's potential in the last name. That has always been important to me and will continue to be, but at the end of the day, I want the name to be Trinity Rodman and she earned it herself, not because she has that last name but because she earned her way."

IN TWO PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? Rodman will hope to make her World Cup debut against Vietnam on July 22 before taking on the Netherlands and Portugal to round off the group stage as the USWNT bid to go all the way when the action gets underway in Australia and New Zealand.