July 12, 2024 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
Washington Spirit News Release
Washington, D.C. – Washington Spirit defender Casey Krueger and midfielder Croix Bethune have been named to the NWSL’s Best XI of the Month, presented by Amazon Prime, for their performance during June play, the league announced today.
Krueger played all 360 minutes of June competition for the Spirit and tallied an assist on teammate Trinity Rodman’s insurance goal on June 23 against NJ/NY Gotham FC. An important part of the Spirit’s defending third, Krueger also helped the Spirit to as many clean sheets as goals against (two) last month as well. She is joined by Kansas City’s Elizabeth Ball and Izzy Rodriguez and Gotham FC’s Jenna Nighswonger on the back line of June’s Best XI.
Through just three and a half months of her premiere professional campaign, Bethune has already put herself in rare air in the NWSL. She has five goals and nine assists in 16 matches, leading all players in assists and all rookies in both categories. Bethune’s most recent goal was a second half stoppage time equalizer in front of a Spirit club record sellout crowd at Audi Field on June 15. With ten regular season matches to play, Bethune is just one assist shy of matching Tobin Heath’s league record output in 2016. She is joined by Kansas City’s Lo’eau LaBonta and Gotham FC’s Rose Lavelle in the midfield of June’s Best XI.
Since the monthly award began in 2017, no player has made more appearances in the NWSL’s Best XI of the Month than Krueger, who is earning her 14th such recognition. Krueger has also been named to year-end Best XI teams three times: Second Team in 2016, First Team in 2017 and 2019. Bethune has now been named to three consecutive Best XI of the Month teams to start her professional career in addition to earning three straight Rookie of the Month awards.
The NWSL Best XI of the Month, presented by Amazon Prime award is selected each month of the regular season by the NWSL Media Association, a collection of writers that cover the league on a consistent basis, and the NWSL’s on-air broadcast talent.
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