Following a victorious moment of securing a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Croix Bethune, the midfielder for Washington Spirit, was selected to deliver the opening pitch at the match between Washington Nationals and New York Yankees on August 28 at Nationals Park.
Regrettably, news subsequently emerged that her season was concluded due to an injury sustained during her pitching moment.
a great moment 🥇@CroixBethune kicked off the @Nationals match last night! pic.twitter.com/C4MIWzsLLW
— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) August 29, 2024
Despite appearing trouble-free during the live broadcast, it was later disclosed that Bethune injured her knee while performing the pitch. Team officials indicated that this incident resulted in a season-ending meniscus tear for her.
Speaking to the press, Spirit coach Jonatan Giráldez mentioned, “Her season has been impacted due to the pitch mishap during the baseball match. She won’t be participating this season. It’s a part of life. Forward is the way to go.”
In her young soccer career journey, she has been making waves ever since being chosen as the third pick overall in the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League Draft. Bethune notably clinched the title of Rookie of the Month for the fourth instance in a span of five months (March/April, May, June, August), setting a fresh NWSL record.
The 23-year-old managed to net five goals and provide 10 assists, showcasing her skills in all 17 regular season games up to August. It’s noteworthy that her absence will be keenly felt by the team as she participated in 1,389 minutes out of the possible 1,530 for the Spirit in this season (according to washingtonspirit.com).
During the 2024 Paris Games, Bethune was designated as an alternate, aiding the United States in securing their fifth USWNT Olympic gold medal (1996, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2024).
Image Source: Croix Bethune @ Instagram
