17 appearances, 5 goals, and 10 assists—if that doesn’t scream ‘rookie season,’ we’re not sure what does. Not bad from Croix Bethune, who also impressed by tying the all-time NWSL single-season assist record, achieving the feat in just 12 matches, and matching Tobin Heath’s 2016 record. But would it surprise you to know that this isn’t actually the highlight of Bethune’s career? During an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, the Washington Spirit midfielder revealed a ‘pretty cool’ achievement for which she is forever grateful to Emma Hayes!

We hope you might have guessed it by now. Still no clue? Well, a fresh piece of gold that the US Women’s National Team brought from France while playing in the Summer Olympics is what exactly is close to Bethune’s heart. “Yeah, that’s a great question,” began the 23-year-old. “I’d probably say standing there with the gold, just to like be a part of it and actually be there.”

Of course, it should be, considering this is also the very first time Bethune has clinched a significant trophy that too on her first attempt. “Not everyone can say they’ve done that or been in that situation, and everyone plays a role, so to actually be there and witness it, I’d say that was pretty cool,” concluded Bethune.

Yes indeed, not everyone can relate to what Croix has achieved, even though it meant for her to be a part of the team as an alternate player. Forget getting minutes but even making the bench was beyond imagination for the Alpharetta, Georgia native. Then again, all that matters is being part of such a remarkable journey that the Stars and Stripes ft. ladies were together, resulting in something memorable.

Not to mention, special thanks go to none other than Emma Hayes, who called Bethune to the 22-player squad in one instance. We reckon it must have been her vast skill set and ability to make quick decisions in the attacking zone—qualities that make her tough to defend against—that enticed the former Chelsea boss to select her.

However, just when Bethune thought she would return to her domestic side post-Olympics in high spirits for the Spirit (pun intended), the midfielder sustained a torn meniscus injury away from training, putting her directly into the season-ending list. While all of this sounds terrible, she had a relieving update on the same.

Croix Bethune shares update regarding her season-ending injury ahead of NWSL playoffs

“Yeah, to hear the injury, it sucked,” began Croix Bethune in a similar discussion with EssentiallySports. Well, it’s not like this is the first time the youngster had a serious injury, this one actually doesn’t settle well with her, considering she had been ‘on a roll’ thanks to her rookie career. But what choice does Bethune have now other than to cheer for her side ahead of the NWSL playoffs? 

Even though Bethune was ‘excited’ to start the second part of the season, she is rather looking at the silver lining. “Everything happens for a reason. So yeah, just kind of getting over that hump, and recovery is going great. It’s honestly going great. I’ve been taking it day by day, hitting milestones, making progress each day, so I can’t complain,” concluded Croix Bethune.

Sad that Croix Bethune is going through a bit of a rough patch. Lucky she has a gold medal with herself to relish the good times at least!