The Washington Spirit are right back where they want to be, in the 2025 NWSL Championship. After falling short in the 2024 NWSL Championship, the club returns to the league’s biggest stage with something to prove. There’s been plenty of discussion around Trinity Rodman and her contract status ahead of the big game, but that’s not the only thing that’s different for the Spirit this time around.
This time, the team will have midfielder Croix Bethune, the 2024 midfielder and rookie of the year. Her impressive rookie season was cut short by a torn meniscus injury, and she missed the entirety of the 2024 NWSL postseason.
“I mean, watching on the sidelines, of course, when you’re a competitor and you want to be out there, it’s hard,” Bethune said about missing the Spirit’s 2024 playoff run.
“It was a lot of fun to watch my team ball out and make it this far, but to be back, for those that know, coming off the injury and getting back into flow, it’s a lot of work. To finally be here, back at the championship, it means a lot. I’m excited. Ready to put some B to A.”
Here’s how to watch the big game:
NWSL Championship
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 22 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Place: PayPal Park — San Jose, Ca.
- TV: CBS
- Stream: Paramount+
Don’t call it a comeback
In just one short year, Bethune has already begun to define her career with spectacular individual accolades. During the 2024 season, she matched a single-season record for most assists (10), a stat level with former U.S. national team player Tobin Heath. She also added five goals on top of her playmaking skills, and her presence was missed during the Spirit’s 2024 run and stretches of the 2025 season as she worked her way back into form.
She returned to the team in April, but didn’t play a full 90 minute match till June, and the central midfielder didn’t feel like a complete player until recently. She scored the definitive goal that sealed the Spirit’s semifinal victory.
“I feel like, for me, I was getting there, but it wasn’t at the level that I wanted to be, you know? I have really high expectations for myself. So I feel like, the first playoff game and then the second one, I was like, ‘okay, yeah, like, this is cool.’ This is me.”
Teammates working together
It’s the classic case of peaking at the perfect time. Bethune’s been a key creative guru for the squad during the playoffs; it’s exactly the type of vision and drive that was missing during the championship last year. Teammate Trinity Rodman had to manage a lingering back injury and MCL sprain this season, and is grateful for Bethune’s presence and offered advice on making difficult returns.
Rodman gave her teammate a huge vote of confidence. “Croix being back is one of the best things you can hear. We, as a team know. Obviously, on the outside, you’ve seen her injuries, but from the inside, it’s hard. She’s gone through a lot. At her age, especially. She’s gone through a lot of injuries and has been out. So I’m extremely happy for her.”
Nigerian international Gift Monday is in her first season with the Washington Spirit, and heads to the championship game as the Spirit’s leading goalscorer this year with 10 goals. Her elevated profile comes in a moment mixed with lethal attacking talent, combined with the perfect opportunity.
As the Spirit needed to rely on the deep roster this year in the absence of Rodman or Bethune, others have become stars, and now, as they return, it feels like a cheat code.
“Croix is an amazing player. She’s not just a midfielder. She is a forward. So she can play anywhere in the forward [line] and anytime Croix is with the ball, I know something magical is going to happen, because she does magic with the ball. She does magic with the ball. So, playing with her is a huge gift for me,” said Monday.
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Being Bethune
In the build-up to the end of the 2025 season, Bethune has been rebuilding chemistry with her teammates while feeling like herself again, though combining with teammates didn’t feel as tough as the mental component of her comeback.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say it was hard to rebuild that connection, because I mean, we’re all ballers. So, when you’re on the field, you can just kind of connect, and then a lot of communication made it easier for us to just blend back and get back in that smooth transition,” said Bethune.
Rodman empathizes with the long road back after injury. The forward had a back flair-up last NWSL Championship, and only recently came back this season. Different injuries require different recovery methods. There are the physical components of managing things, and the sometimes much larger, more complex mental side of things.
“On top of being injured, you have to work through a whole like a confidence shift. Like, ‘who am I coming back?’ And I know I’m a great player, but how do I get back into my flow? And if I’m not having a great game, like, how do I continue with that confidence? And I feel like I’ve been helping her a lot with that, because I know it pretty well,” Rodman joked.
“She’ll laugh, because [on the pitch] I’ll be, like, ‘shoot the ball. Croix, shoot the ball!’ She’ll come over to get her little Jolly Rancher. And I’m like, ‘Croix, don’t pass there. You’re in six. Shoot the ball.’ But she’s great, and she’s so humble, and so grateful for every opportunity. I’m so excited to see her ball out on Saturday.”
