{"id":27618,"date":"2025-11-21T09:10:43","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T14:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/croix-bethune-shines-again-with-washington-spirit-i-set-my-standards-high\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T09:10:43","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T14:10:43","slug":"croix-bethune-shines-again-with-washington-spirit-i-set-my-standards-high","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2025\/11\/21\/croix-bethune-shines-again-with-washington-spirit-i-set-my-standards-high\/","title":{"rendered":"Croix Bethune Shines Again with Washington Spirit: “I Set My Standards High!”"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<p>The <span>washington spirit<\/span> have made their way back to the stage they desired: the 2025 NWSL Championship. Following a narrow miss in the 2024 Championship, the team comes back ready to demonstrate their capabilities. There has been considerable talk surrounding <span class=\"link\">Trinity Rodman<\/span> and her contractual situation, but she isn't the only significant factor for the Spirit this time.<\/p>\n\n<p>This year, midfielder Croix Bethune, who was also the 2024 rookie of the year, will rejoin the squad. Her impressive debut season was cut short due to a torn meniscus, which sidelined her for the entire 2024 NWSL playoffs.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cBeing on the sidelines was difficult, especially as a competitor wanting to participate,\u201d Bethune reflected on the Spirit\u2019s absence from the 2024 playoff run.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cWatching the team come together was exciting, but returning from an injury and getting back into shape is always challenging. Being back and aiming for the championship means the world to me. I\u2019m eager to elevate our game,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to catch the championship match.<\/p>\n<h2>NWSL Championship<\/h2>\n<ul>\n    <li><strong>date:<\/strong> Saturday, November 22 | <strong>time:<\/strong> 8 pm ET<\/li>\n    <li><strong>location:<\/strong> PayPal Park \u2014 San Jose, California<\/li>\n    <li><strong>tv:<\/strong> CBS<\/li>\n    <li><strong>stream:<\/strong> Paramount+<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2>A Rapid Ascent<\/h2>\n<p>In just a year, Bethune has started to shape her legacy with impressive accolades. Last season, she matched the record for the most assists in a single season (10), level with former U.S. National Team player <span>Tobin Heath<\/span>. Alongside her five goals, her absence during last year\u2019s championship was felt, but her return is expected to bolster the Spirit's chances.<\/p>\n\n<p>Though she rejoined the team in April, it wasn\u2019t until June that she played an entire match, and she only recently regained her full form. Bethune scored the pivotal goal that secured the Spirit\u2019s semifinal victory.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cWhile I feel like I\u2019m back, I\u2019m still striving for more. I hold myself to high standards, so each playoff game showed me, \u2018Yes, I can be this player,\u2019\u201d she expressed.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Team Dynamics<\/h2>\n<p>Bethune\u2019s timing is impeccable; she has emerged as a creative force in the playoffs\u2014 exactly what the Spirit needed last year. Her teammate, Trinity Rodman, who has also been recovering from a back injury and an MCL sprain, values Bethune's return and has provided her with the support needed during this challenging phase.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cHaving Croix back is incredible news for us. We witnessed her struggles from the outside, but inside, it's been tough. She\u2019s faced a lot for someone so young, and I\u2019m thrilled for her return,\u201d Rodman stated.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nigeria international <span>Gift Monday<\/span>, in her debut season with the Spirit, now stands as the team's top scorer with 10 goals this year, bringing potent attacking skills at a crucial time.<\/p>\n\n<p>With the return of Rodman and Bethune, the Spirit shift from a reliance on a supportive roster to seem like an unstoppable force.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cCroix is a phenomenal player. She plays beyond just midfield; she can deliver anywhere on the forward line. When she has the ball, something special happens. It's a blessing to be on the same field,\u201d said Monday.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"ArticleShortcode-container\">\n    <div class=\"ArticleShortcode-text\">\n        <p>NWSL European clubs \u2018compete\u2019 to retain Trinity Rodman as USL Super League pursues her signature<\/p>\n        <p>Pardeep Khatri<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"ArticleShortcode-imageContainer\">\n        <figure class=\"ArticleShortcode-image img\">\n            <img alt=\"NWSL will fight to keep Trinity Rodman as European clubs and USL Super League vie for her signature\" src=\"https:\/\/sportshub.cbsistatic.com\/i\/r\/2025\/11\/20\/0cfdf954-3091-454b-9575-e3872177e99a\/thumbnail\/270x152\/c50be6296e93378d7c016b1a48e9e9c1\/washington-spirit-trinity-rodman.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"152\" width=\"270\"\/>\n        <\/figure>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>Becoming Bethune<\/h2>\n<p>As Bethune gears up for the conclusion of the 2025 season, she is working on rebuilding her chemistry with teammates while regaining her own rhythm. However, the mental aspect of her comeback proves to be more challenging than rekindling connections with her teammates.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cReestablishing connections isn\u2019t particularly difficult; we\u2019re all athletes, so we naturally bond on the field. Communication has helped us transition smoothly,\u201d Bethune noted.<\/p>\n\n<p>Rodman understands the arduous journey back from injury. Having faced her own setbacks, she knows that regaining confidence encompasses both physical and mental hurdles.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cGetting over the mental block after an injury is tough. It\u2019s about reassessing who you are as a player. I help Croix navigate that because I\u2019ve been there,\u201d Rodman shared.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cShe'll laugh when I shout, \u2018Shoot the ball, Croix!\u2019 on the field. It\u2019s all in good fun, yet her humility and gratitude for every chance are what make her shine. I can\u2019t wait to see her perform on Saturday,\u201d Rodman concluded.<\/p><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
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Fan Take<\/strong>: This matchup is pivotal not just for the Washington Spirit but for women’s soccer as a whole. With emerging stars like Bethune and established players like Rodman, fans are witnessing the sport’s rising talent and competitiveness, setting the stage for an exhilarating era in women\u2019s soccer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
<p>The <span>washington spirit<\/span> have made their way back to the stage they desired: the 2025 NWSL Championship. Following a narrow miss in the 2024 Championship, the team comes back ready to demonstrate their capabilities. There has been considerable talk surrounding <span class=”link”>Trinity Rodman<\/span> and her contractual situation, but she isn’t the only significant factor for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[7044,7043,40,2427,46,150,1157,45,1758,7045,4584],"class_list":{"0":"post-27618","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football","8":"tag-bethune","9":"tag-croix","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-high","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-set","14":"tag-shines","15":"tag-soccer","16":"tag-spirit","17":"tag-standards","18":"tag-washington"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27618"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27618\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}