USWNT's Croix Bethune sustains serious knee injury on Nationals' first pitch

Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Washington Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune, an alternate for Team USA at the Paris Olympics, suffered a torn meniscus and will miss the remainder of the 2024 soccer season, the NWSL franchise announced.

Spirit manager Jonatan Giraldez told reporters Sunday that Bethune "had a problem" while making a ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals and New York Yankees baseball game Aug. 28 in Washington, D.C.

Fellow Olympians Trinity Rodman, Casey Krueger and Hal Hershfelt also participated in the pregame festivities at Nationals Park.

The Spirit said Wednesday that Bethune was placed on the season-ending injury list and will rehab the knee injury.

Bethune entered the league as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft. She totaled five goals and 10 assists in 17 matches this season for the Spirit.

Her 10 assists tied Tobin Heath's league record for a single season. Bethune was named NWSL Rookie of the Month and to the Best XI of the Month three-consecutive times to start her career, earning those accolades in March/April, May and June.

She became the first player in NWSL history to win Rookie of the Month in consecutive months.

The Spirit (12-4-2) sit in second place in the NWSL standings. They will host the sixth-place Portland Thorns (8-7-3) at 12:30 p.m. EDT Saturday at Audi Field.