A first pitch gone awry — and Spirit star Croix Bethune is out for season

The NWSL rookie star took the mound for the ceremonial duty at Nats Park last week and left with a torn meniscus.

2 min

By Steven Goff

September 4, 2024 at 7:19 p.m. EDT

Washington Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune, who parlayed a sensational rookie season into a trip to the Olympics, will miss the remainder of the National Women’s Soccer League campaign after apparently suffering a knee injury throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a Washington Nationals game last week.

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The Spirit said Wednesday that Bethune had undergone surgery after suffering “a torn meniscus away from training last week.” The team did not give a timetable for her return.

The Spirit did not disclose any other details, though a person close to the situation confirmed the injury occurred at the Nationals game.

Bethune did not travel with the team to San Diego for last Sunday’s 1-1 draw against the Wave. After the match, Coach Jonatan Giráldez said, “She had a problem making the first pitch in the baseball game. … She is not going to be available this season. It is part of life; you have to keep going.”

Bethune will miss the U.S. team’s three home friendlies next month — its first activities since winning the gold medal — and the showdown with European champion England on Nov. 30 at Wembley Stadium.

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The Spirit’s four Olympians — Bethune, Trinity Rodman, Casey Krueger and Hal Hershfelt — were honored before the Aug. 28 game against the New York Yankees at Nationals Park. On behalf of the four, Bethune threw the ceremonial first pitch to the Nationals’ DJ Herz.

Throwing with her right arm, she put weight on her left leg and seemed to grimace slightly as she walked off the mound. Bethune, 23, had three ACL injuries in high school and college.

The third overall draft pick last winter, Bethune leads the league in assists with 10, tying Tobin Heath (2016) for the NWSL single-season record. Bethune did it in just 12 games and no one else in the league has more than six assists this year. She has also scored five goals, including two game-winners in stoppage time.

She was the NWSL’s rookie of the month three times and the first in history to win it in consecutive months.

A youth national team standout, Bethune made her senior debut in a friendly against Mexico on July 13, four days before the team departed for France. Initially selected as an alternate, she was promoted to the 18-player active squad because of an injury to Jaedyn Shaw and played in the group finale against Australia.

The Spirit (12-4-2) is second in the 14-team standings, six points behind the Orlando Pride (13-0-5) with eight games left. Washington will host the Portland Thorns (8-7-3) on Saturday.

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A first pitch gone awry — and Spirit star Croix Bethune is out for season