For the months of March and April, the National Women’s Soccer League announced Washington Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune as the NWSL Rookie of the Month and Kansas City Current forward Bia Zaneratto as the NWSL Player of the Month.
As first-year players in the NWSL, both athletes are recognized for their powerful performances within the first seven weeks of the NWSL regular season.
Washington Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune earns her first NWSL Rookie of the Month award. (Photo by ... [+]
Rookie of the Month: Bethune Makes NWSL History As A Rookie
As the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft, Bethune is making her mark as a professional as the rookie has started all six matches in the opening weeks of the NWSL regular season and played 532 out of a possible 540 minutes.
Within the same award cycle, Bethune earned her first Rookie of the Month award and was named to the NWSL Best XI as the second Spirit player alongside Casey Krueger.
In Week 7 of the NWSL, Bethune became the fifth player in NWSL history to record three assists in a regular season game, which led the Spirit to a 4-2 win against the Chicago Red Stars.
So far, Bethune has scored three goals with two of them being game-winners to lead the way for the Spirit
With the award recognition, Bethune also makes Spirit history as she is now the second Spirit player to earn Rookie of the Month honors in the past year.
Player of the Month: Zaneratto En Route to Golden Boot Winner
As for Zaneratto, the Brazilian forward has scored four goals with a total of three assists. In her debut for the Current at CPKC Stadium, Zaneratto scored her first NWSL goal in the opening half as Kansas City celebrated their home opener with a stellar 5-4 win against the Portland Thorns.
Zaneratto’s performance has progressed throughout the regular season as she scored her first brace against Bay FC. Her first goal gave Kansas City the opening lead in the first two minutes and she bookend the game with the closing goal for the Current in the 73’ minute to bring the final score to a 5-2 victory.
Bia Zaneratto has scored four goals and made three assists for the Kansas City Current in her first ... [+]
Within the first seven weeks of the NWSL regular season, Zaneratto has played a total of 436 minutes as the international fits within the Current’s playing system of finding creative angles within the final third of the pitch as the team has recorded their best season as they have yet to lose a game with a 5-2-0 (wins, draws, losses) record.
NWSL awards are 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.
