Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images
Two separate trades that amount to a three-team swap will see Best XI midfielder Claire Hutton head to Bay FC for $1.1 million in intra-league transfer funds, and $1 million of that immediately heading from the Kansas City Current to the Washington Spirit in exchange for Croix Bethune. Hutton and Bethune, 20 and 24 respectively, will both be entering their 3rd NWSL seasons. They were teammates on the United States team that played friendlies in California last month.
The trades were reported by Jeff Kassouf for ESPN and Sandra Herrera for CBS Sports. Jeff is the founder of The Equalizer. The Equalizer’s Dan Lauletta independently confirmed the reports.
Hutton signed with the Current as a 17-year-old and made her debut at 18 on opening day 2024. Over two seasons with the Current she has appeared in 47 regular season matches, starting 41 of them. She has quickly emerged as one of the best defensive midfielders in NWSL and was a Best XI selection last year.
“Claire is an important signing for us. She’s a top-quality player who is tight on the ball, and she has the mobility and physical presence to break up play,” Bay FC head coach Emma Coates said. “Despite her age she brings experience and a strong mentality, and we believe she has the potential to become one of the best midfielders in the world. The most exciting part for us is her desire to keep getting better, and we’re excited to support her through the next stages of her career and even more excited to see the impact she will have at Bay FC.”
During Hutton’s two seasons in Kansas City, the Current won the 2024 Summer Cup and the 2025 NWSL Shield. She will be joining a Bay FC side that finished 13th last season and finished on a 15-match winless streak.
Bethune was the No. 3 pick in the final NWSL draft in 2024. She quickly emerged as one of the top playmakers in the league. She registered 8 assists during a 6-game span between April 26 and May 24 including the only 3-assist match in Spirit regular season history. A knee injury suffered during the summer break ended her season in August and Bethune missed the Spirit’s playoff run. She was till named to the Best XI and voted the NWSL’s first Midfielder of the Year, as well as NWSL Rookie of the Year.
In 2025, Bethune made her return from injury in late April and slowly worked her way back to form. Though her numbers were down from her rookie season she was part of the Second XI. Bethune also started all three Spirit playoff matches, scoring in the semifinal win over Portland.
“Croix is an exceptional playmaker with limitless potential,” Current general manager Ryan Dell said. “Her elite creativity and passing ability combined with her tactical versatility – plus her resilience and passion – make her a great fit for our club, on and off the pitch.”
