Five Washington Spirit Players Named to NWSL’s Year-End Best XI, Presented by Amazon Prime Ahead of Club’s Third NWSL Championship Match
Washington Spirit | November 18, 2024
Rodman, Bethune and Krueger named to First Team, Hershfelt and McKeown named to Second Team after historic regular season
Washington, D.C. (11/18/2024) – Five Washington Spirit players have been honored as members of the NWSL’s annual Best XI, presented by Amazon Prime, for their standout performances during the 2024 regular season, the league announced today. Forward TrinityRodman, rookie midfielder CroixBethune and defender CaseyKrueger were named to the First Team, while rookie midfielder Hal Hershfelt and defender TaraMcKeown were named to the Second Team.
The Spirit tied with the Orlando Pride for most Best XI First Team honorees with three and tied with the Pride and NJ/NY Gotham FC for most overall Best XI honorees with five.
First Team – Forward Trinity Rodman
Spirit star Trinity Rodman returns to the Best XI First Team for the first time since her rookie year in 2021, having been named to the Second Team in 2023. For the first time in her career, Rodman led the Spirit in goals with eight (alongside OuleyeSarr) and also tallied six assists, becoming the youngest player in NWSL history to reach 50 goal contributions. Rodman also had a breakout year on the international stage, tallying three goals and an assist at the Paris Olympics and leading the U.S. to its first gold medal in 12 years.
First Team – Midfielder Croix Bethune
Rookie sensation Croix Bethune earns a Best XI First Team nod after just 17 matches played for the Spirit in 2024. The four-time Rookie of the Month tied for the league lead in goals by a rookie with five despite missing the final nine matches of the regular season due to injury. Bethune also tied Tobin Heath’s single season assists record, tallying ten in just a 12-game span. At the international level, Bethune made her debut for the USWNT this summer and was part of the gold medal-winning team in Paris.
First Team – Defender Casey Krueger
Veteran Casey Krueger is making her fourth appearance on the NWSL Best XI, having previously been named to the First Team in 2017 and 2019 and the Second Team in 2016. Krueger was a mainstay on the Spirit back line in 2024, winning 23 tackles and 26 interceptions across 22 matches for the team. Krueger also tallied a goal and three assists this season, helping to lead the team to a league-record 18 regular season wins and the No. 2 seed.
Second Team – Midfielder Hal Hershfelt
Rookie standout Hal Hershfelt makes her debut on the Best XI Second Team after starting all but two matches for the Spirit in 2024. Hershfelt led the Spirit with 43 tackles won and 401 successful passes in the opponent’s half. The midfielder added to her two regular season goals with a stoppage time equalizer in the semifinal match against defending champion Gotham FC, eventually leading the Spirit past its rival and onto the championship match.
Second Team – Defender Tara McKeown
Iron Woman Tara McKeown earned her spot on the Best XI Second Team in just her second year as a defender. McKeown began her pro career as a forward before moving to center back prior to the 2023 season. This year, McKeown won 29 tackles and 31 interceptions while maintaining an 86.15% passing rate. McKeown tallied one assist during the regular season and netted her first goal of 2024 with a late equalizer in the quarterfinal match against Bay FC to help the Spirit advance to the semifinals.
The Best XI First Team and Best XI Second Team were determined based on a weighted voting scale comprised of players (40%), owners/GMs/coaches (25%), media (25%) and fans (10%).
About The Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. In 2024, the Spirit drafted an epic class of rookies who are already breaking records and wowing fans. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
