The NWSL upped the midfield ante on Wednesday, reshuffling the league's 2026 landscape with a pair of high-profile — and history-making — trades involving USWNT midfielders Claire Hutton and Croix Bethune.
Bethune — the 2024 NWSL Rookie and Midfielder of the Year — is departing the Washington Spirit for the Kansas City Current in a $1 million deal, while Hutton heads to Bay FC for $1.1 million after leading the Current to the 2025 Shield.
Both rank among the top three intra-league transfers in NWSL history, trailing only USWNT striker Jaedyn Shaw's $1.25 million move to reigning champion Gotham FC last fall.
The current CBA requires player consent for all transactions, with 24-year-old Bethune reportedly requesting the trade while 20-year-old Hutton's involvement remains unknown.
"Croix is an exceptional playmaker with limitless potential," Kansas City GM Ryan Dell said in the club's Wednesday announcement. "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."
"Claire is an important signing for us," said Bay FC head coach Emma Coates in a statement. "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."
Wednesday's trade news follows January's landmark Trinity Rodman re-signing, when the Spirit used the new salary cap-exceeding High Impact Player rule to make Rodman the world's highest-paid women's footballer.
While neither Kansas City nor Bay FC disclosed salary information, both Bethune and Hutton did qualify for HIP status.
