Croix Bethune, Claire Hutton trade grades: KC Current, Bay FC land stars

Two blockbuster trades were announced Wednesday between a trio of NWSL teams, with the separate deals expected to add new layers of intrigue to the 2026 season — and perhaps the U.S. women’s national team’s image as well.

Croix Bethune will join the Kansas City Current from the Washington Spirit in a package worth a total of $1 million, as first reported by CBS Sports, marking a new chapter in the career of the 2024 NWSL Rookie of the Year as she prepares for her first full season after recovering from a torn meniscus. In a separate deal, Bay FC acquired USWNT midfielder Claire Hutton after sending $1.1 million to the Current for her services. Both men are rising stars in the NWSL and have worked their way into the USWNT player pool, each of them offering valuable skills to their new teams and providing signals of ambition as the start of the 2026 season approaches. These moves, however, also add another layer of intrigue in a league that is defined in some ways by its busy offseasons.

For Bethune and Hutton, switching clubs in early 2026 will provide ample time to settle in before USWNT head coach Emma Hayes has to lock in roster decisions for November’s Concacaf W Championship, the qualifying tournament for next year’s World Cup. There are, however, a fascinating number of unknowns in each of these deals, particularly regarding the Current’s capabilities without Hutton.

Here’s an analysis of the moves that made headlines, including an assessment of each side’s performance after the big trades.

Bay FC

Bay FC have yet to light up the league since arriving as an expansion team in 2024, but by landing Hutton, they’ve given themselves a real opportunity to compete. The 20-year-old is easily one of the United States’ rising stars, adapting seamlessly to the demands of being a professional and positioning herself to be one of the game’s top talents at her position for years to come. Almost every team in the world would benefit from Hutton’s arrival and in acquiring him, Bay have demonstrated serious ambition ahead of head coach Emma Coates’ first season. Hutton won’t solve all their problems, but she certainly gives them the opportunity to move up a level, an opportunity they would be foolish to pass up. Grade: A

Kansas City Current

Bethune is more than capable of being a positive addition to the Current with her offensive style of play and the entertainment value she brings every time she is on the court. With nine goals and 15 assists in her two seasons as a professional, she will be a boon to a current side that boasts plenty of attacking talent and should combine well with Temwa Chawinga once the Malawi international returns from a long-term hip adductor injury. However, Bethune’s attributes aside, Hutton represents a huge loss for the Current and exactly how the team fills that void is a big unknown as they chase silverware after a record-breaking regular season in 2025. Grade: B

Spirit of Washington

Bethune requested the trade in a move that Spirit president of football operations Haley Carter described as driven by “his desire to explore development opportunities in a different environment.” The Spirit will miss her but in exchange, Bethune’s old team will have plenty of money to play with. Like the Current, they’re chasing the NWSL championship that continues to elude them, and the Spirit have a well-documented history of spending wisely. It’s unclear exactly how that money will be used — NWSL player salaries aren’t public information, so it’s uncertain if Trinity Rodman’s new deal will impact their payroll and even play a small role in Bethune’s departure. Even if the funds from the Bethune trade go to the players they already have, it will go a long way in keeping a group of talented players happy and motivated ahead of a big campaign. Grade: A-