Washington Spirit’s Croix Bethune suffers season-ending knee injury throwing ceremonial pitch

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Spirit rookie midfielder Croix Bethune will miss the rest of the season for the National Women’s Soccer League club after apparently suffering a knee injury while throwing the ceremonial first pitch at a Washington Nationals game last week.

The Spirit said Wednesday that Bethune, who was part of the U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in Paris last month, suffered a torn meniscus “away from training” and won’t play again in 2024 while she rehabs the injury.

The 23-year-old Bethune did not travel with the team for last Sunday’s 1-1 draw at San Diego.

“She had a problem making the first pitch in the baseball game,” Spirit coach Jonatan Giráldez said after the match. “She is not going to be available this season. It is part of life. You have to keep going.”

Bethune, the third overall pick in the NWSL draft, has five goals and 10 assists in 17 games.

She was honored alongside Spirit teammates and fellow Olympians Trinity Rodman, Casey Krueger and Hal Hershfelt before the Nationals hosted the New York Yankees on Aug. 28. She appeared to grimace slightly while walking off the mound after making the pitch.

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