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Photo Copyright Brad Mills for Imagn Images
A few days ago, fans of the Washington Spirit learned that their rookie phenom, Croix Bethune, had suffered a season-ending injury. Bethune, who has spent the season smashing NWSL records both for rookies and for players at large, leaves massive shoes to fill.
As she recovers from her torn meniscus, the Spirit were left wondering what they will do without their three-time rookie of the month, who already matched the NWSL single-season assist record. But the Spirit may have found their answer in Saturday’s performance against the Portland Thorns.
Saturday’s match, which featured a late game-winner and some of the best out-of-possession play the Spirit have presented all season, heavily included Ashley Hatch. Although she didn’t get on the board as a goal scorer, she looked dangerous the entire game. Hatch had a handful of shots on goal as well as a few other shots that went high or wide, and, most importantly, she set up teammate Trinity Rodman for her tying goal in the 60th minute.
“I think Hatch played lights out today,” Rodman said to a pool of reporters in the postgame press conference. “She set me up a couple times. Missed those, so I’m glad that I could put [a goal] away.”
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Hatch, the second overall pick in the 2017 NWSL draft, has been with the Spirit since 2018 and was a part of the team that won the NWSL championship in 2021. She’s made 22 appearances for the USWNT and has scored five times for Team USA, but she hasn’t made the squad for any of the national team’s recent major tournaments. She has contributed massively to the Spirit in her seven seasons with the team, appearing in 125 matches and scoring 42 goals. But, because her career with the USWNT was cut relatively short, and given that her teammates up front are Rodman, Bethune, and the formidable Ouleye Sarr, her talent is sometimes overlooked.
Based on the way Hatch played on Saturday, though, she is ready to step up to fill a much-needed gap in the Spirit’s roster. Bethune, a midfielder by trade, learned how to break through on the front line and make it easy for Rodman, midfielder Andi Sullivan, and other teammates to find her. Hatch, a true forward, demonstrated on Saturday that she can do the same thing. She can make it easy for her teammates to find her, she can use her speed and strength to break through defensive walls, and, if given enough chances, she is guaranteed to get on the board.
The Spirit attack looks different now than it did at the start of the season. The loss of Bethune, as well as the additions of Rosemonde Kouassi and Leicy Santos, have recently contributed to reshaping the team’s offensive strategy. Though the strategy largely remains founded on the abilities of Rodman, Sullivan, and defender Casey Krueger to smoothly and quickly move the ball up the field, the current reconstitution of the forward line creates an opportunity for Hatch to be re-integrated back into what is considered the team’s core. It was Santos, assisted by Rodman, who scored the game-winning goal on Saturday, but it did not outshine the efforts by Hatch and Kouassi, who fought for goals every minute they were on the field.
The lack of Bethune for the remainder of the season could have spooked the Spirit; instead, it has opened up new avenues for offensive talent to emerge and persevere. Hatch is ready to be seen as an integral part of the fabric of the Spirit again. As the team continues to surge at just the right time, they can only benefit from utilizing Hatch to the best of her abilities.
Spirit owner Michele Kang introduces new owner Magic Johnson
Washington Spirit majority owner Michele Kang was joined for Saturday’s game by new Spirit owner Earvin “Magic” Johnson. The NBA phenom joined the team’s ownership group and, together with Kang, sat for CBS Mornings on Thursday to answer some questions about his new role with the Spirit.
Nate Burleson: What excites you about joining this ownership group, and how did it come about?
Magic Johnson: Michele has a first-class organization in Washington Spirit. What she’s done for women’s soccer all over the world, not just here in the NWSL, is important. And owners love to not only win on the field like Michele does but also in the community. That’s why I’m so excited to be her partner. I also thank her for letting me be her partner. I think, when you look at both of us, two minorities who try to climb the ladder … and then transition into business, I want to be an example, just like you [Nate], and Gayle [King], for others to follow. I want to make sure that this sport, women’s soccer, can grow, and anything that I can do to help Michele and these incredible women not only win on the field but outside the field as well.
Gayle King: Michele, I want to get you in the conversation. What does this involvement mean to you and mean to this league?
Michele King: I mean, to say all of us at the Spirit and women’s football, we’re incredibly honored to have Magic be part of this community, is probably an understatement. His legend and success on the basketball court is something everyone knows, but as you guys have been talking about, his involvement in mentoring young children, and providing dreams and hopes to them, is something just that no one can match. And we’re incredibly honored to have him as part of our community.
GK: But how did this come about? Did you need to add something to your plate?
MJ: Michele and I met in LA and we clicked. We took off, it was a great conversation. When you think about what happened with the Olympics and the women’s team, they dominated on the field … When [Kang] allowed me to be her partner, you know me, I love sports, I love to be in ownership because it’s important that they see minorities in ownership positions. But the main thing, too, is that I love helping the athletes transition from their sport to hopefully business, or whatever they want to do after their time being an athlete. So Michele cares about the same thing. So we’re going to help these women not only on the field—we want to win championships—but we’re gonna help them also after their careers are over.
