It can be hard to overcome a tough experience. And it can be even harder to maintain a positive mindset throughout it. But for young Washington Spirit star Croix Bethune, it’s exactly what she had to do and did. But it was not easy. “It sucked,” she said. Nevertheless, she continued her journey in recovering from the season-ending injury she suffered in a freak occurrence while throwing the first pitch for the Washington Nationals in August. But she was not alone in this journey; she received some important guidance along the way.

In an interview with the Mirror US, Bethune talked about the ups and downs she experienced during her recovery journey and how she emerged from it stronger. One thing in particular that kept her going were the words of her USWNT coach Emma Hayes. Speaking of Hayes, she said, “I remember we had a training session, and Emma just kind of mentioned, ‘Train how you play.’ So 100 percent within literally everything that you do.” As Bethune has continued working on regaining match fitness, it’s these words that resonated with her and motivated her to give it all her.

After all, such an injury would catch any player off guard. But it’s Bethune’s elite mentality that has helped her overcome this hurdle. “The first week or two were tough, especially coming to peace with what happened,” she said. “It happened and I can’t change anything about it. But after that, just the support being around and flipping my mentality like let’s put this work in to get back, it was fine after that.”

To say this threw a wrench in her season would be an understatement. The No. 3 draft pick was an important player in the team– She had managed an impressive tally of 5 goals and 10 assists in 17 games, just before disaster struck. Furthermore, she was also named the NWSL Rookie of the year and Midfielder of the Year. Despite being only 23, she was playing with skill and composure that belied her years. But the good news was that Bethune wouldn’t be out for too long.

When will Croix Bethune return?

Well, if her recovery goes as planned, she could be back on the pitch very soon. In the initial weeks following the injury, Croix Bethune expected to be back by the time the NWSL preseason rolled around in mid-January. Considering that meniscus tears took roughly 3-6 months to heal, this appeared to be an achievable timeline for Bethune.

In December, it was clear that she had made significant progress and was nearly ready to be back. Speaking to Indivisa, she said, “Yeah, with this meniscus tear, it’s a different injury. So that itself, it’s a shorter comeback time, which is great. But I feel like my history has helped me get through this the easiest. I’m already running. It’s been about three months.”

However, in January it was reported that Bethune’s return to the pitch had been slightly delayed. Although a preseason return looked in doubt, she was still confident about making it back in time for the Spirit’s season opener on March 15th against the Houston Dash. Speaking to the the media in January, the 23-year-old was in positive spirits. “Rehab’s going great, I feel strong,” she said. “Just reaching new milestones and then breaking those milestones, and the goal is to be back for first game of the season.”

Washington Spirit head coach, Jonatan Giráldez was also similarly optimistic about her return. In his first press conference of 2025, he said, “Croix, she’s improving. She’s feeling better. Right now, the situation is that she’s training, [but] not with the team.”

The road to recovery can’t have been easy, especially after riding the momentum of an Olympic gold medal and a prolific start to the season. But if her and her coach’s comments are of any indication, then Croix Bethune appears ready to regain that lost momentum and pick up right where she left off last year. Armed with Emma Hayes’ advice and looking to make a strong comeback, 2025 just might be her best year yet.