The Kansas City Current have acquired former NWSL Rookie of the Year Croix Bethune from the Washington Spirit for $1 million in transfer fees.
The deal, announced Wednesday, included $100,000 in allocation money and $900,000 in intra-league transfer funds. The 24-year-old midfielder’s contract with the Current runs through the 2027 NWSL season.
Bethune has also played on the U.S. national team, appearing in seven matches. Named as an alternate for the gold medal-winning 2024 Olympic squad, she was elevated to the active roster because of Jaedyn Shaw’s injury.
Bethune scored her first national team goal last month in a 5-0 victory over Chile.
“Croix is an exceptional playmaker with limitless potential,” Current general manager Ryan Dell said in a statement. “Her elite creativity and passing ability combined with her tactical versatility – plus her resilience and passion – make her a great fit for our club, on and off the pitch.”
The Current finished atop the NWSL standings last year, going 21-3-2 and winning the league’s Shield, but got knocked out of the playoffs in the quarterfinals by eventual champion Gotham FC.
Bethune was the third pick in the 2024 NWSL draft. She had five goals and 10 assists for the Spirit that season before injuring her knee, earning both rookie and midfielder of the year honors.
She requested a trade in the offseason after the Spirit fell to Gotham FC in the NWSL championship game.
“We evaluate every situation on its individual merits, and in this case, the alignment of player goals and organizational value made sense for all parties,” said Haley Carter, the Spirit’s president of soccer operations.
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