US midfielders Bethune and Hutton move in pair of blockbuster $1m NWSL trades

Two of the best young midfielders in US women’s soccer were on the move Wednesday in a pair of seven-figure trades, shuffling up the NWSL landscape a month before the season begins.

Croix Bethune, the 2024 rookie and midfielder of the year, was traded from the Washington Spirit to the Kansas City Current for $1m. In a separate move, Kansas City traded Claire Hutton , the 2025 midfielder of the year, to Bay FC in a $1.1m transaction.

The moves are the second and third largest intra-league transfers in NWSL history, trailing only the $1.25m Gotham FC paid the North Carolina Courage last year to acquire Jaedyn Shaw.

Bethune, the No 3 draft pick by the Spirit in 2024, requested the trade, club president of soccer operations Haley Carter said in a statement.

“After conversations about her desire to explore development opportunities in a different environment, we were able to structure a deal that honored her request while securing significant value for our club,” Carter said. “We evaluate every situation on its individual merits, and in this case, the alignment of player goals and organizational value made sense for all parties.”

Bethune, 24, had five goals and 10 assists during her breakout rookie campaign for the Spirit in 2024 and earned a gold medal at the Paris Olympics with the US before a knee injury ruled her out for the final two months of the season. She received NWSL Best XI second team honors in her return last season, helping Washington to a second straight appearance in the championship.

The Spirit were arguably the offseason’s main character as they worked to sign Trinity Rodman to an extension within the league’s rules. With their star winger signed to fresh terms , consequential adjustments to stay compliant with league rules were inevitable. Washington’s squad is teeming with stars, including Colombia midfielder Leicy Santos, US midfielder Hal Hershfelt, Côte d’Ivoire forward Rosemonde Kouassi, Nigeria forward Gift Monday and Italy forward Sofia Cantore. Getting interleague transfer funds ($900,000) and allocation money ($100,000) helps host so much talent.Still, few would’ve expected Bethune to be among the collateral departures. She was among Rodman’s closest friends at Spirit, regularly linking up for TikTok dances in between goal celebrations. Bethune also provided a vital link between the midfield and forward lines, although she has already required three ACL surgeries and missed eight months from 2024 to 2025 after tearing a meniscus.

Hutton broke out as an 18-year-old in her rookie 2024 campaign with the Current and has since cemented her place as one of the league’s top defensive midfielders, earning Best XI honors in 2025 and making 13 appearances for the US national team.

“Bay FC is a club with real ambition, and that is a big part of why this move feels right for me,” Hutton said in a club release. “It’s clear from Coach Coates how detailed her vision is and how much she values challenging players to keep improving. The standards she wants to set and the environment the club is building really resonated with me, and I’m excited to join a group that pushes each other every day as we compete at the highest level while winning championships.”

After making the playoffs in their inaugural season, Bay sunk to second-bottom in 2025, failing to win in the entire second-half of the season. Turnarounds require talent, and Bay now have a rising midfield star for club and country. Hutton was vital to the Current’s record-setting regular season, capably shielding the backline while ushering the ball upfield with precision.

The 20-year-old also worked into Emma Hayes’s rotation. She was crucial to helping international teammate Ally Sentnor acclimate to the club, as the pair forged a friendship throughout years with the US youth national teams. She projects as a likely inclusion for the 2027 Women’s World Cup squad.

As for the Current, the moves fortify an already established area of strength – how they unlock defenses in transition and slower phases alike – while opening a potential weakness in Hutton’s ceded terrain. KC barnstormed the NWSL en route to the Shield with breakneck precision, and already boasted a talented attacking corps including two-time reigning MVP and Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga, Sentnor, US international winger Michelle Cooper, and three-time MVP finalist Debinha. Given injury concerns around both Bethune and Debinha, the move will help ease expectations from the 34-year-old Brazil international while not asking too much from Bethune in her first season. Hutton’s minutes will most directly be absorbed by Vanessa DiBernardo, a dependable two-way midfield veteran returning from maternity leave.

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