In this week’s women’s soccer news, the Kansas City Current acquired Croix Bethune; Claire Hutton is on the move; Boston Legacy revealed their inaugural kit; and more!
High of the Week
In a massive shock this week, the Kansas City Current acquired Croix Bethune from the Washington Spirit. It was a trade that wasn’t expected, with Bethune being one of the stars for the Spirit. In exchange for Bethune, Washington got a $1 million transfer fee that is split up with $100,000 in allocation funds and $900,000 in transfer threshold funds. It’s the third-largest transfer fee in NWSL history. It was reported that Bethune actually requested the trade, wanting to join a new environment and continue her development. The midfielder is currently trying to solidify her spot on the USWNT ahead of the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Bethune was drafted by the Spirit in 2024 with the third overall pick out of the University of Georgia, where she played her final collegiate season. Before transferring to Georgia, she played three seasons with USC. With the Trojans, she appeared in 48 matches and scored 26 goals.
The midfielder had a terrific rookie season with the Spirit, scoring five goals and registering 10 assists despite missing most of the second half of the season due to injury. She was named NWSL Rookie of the Year for her performance as well.
She’s a massive addition for an already very good Kansas City Current offense, and it’ll be fun to see how she fits into their game plan.
Low of the Week
This week, the North Carolina Courage announced that they wouldn’t be re-signing midfielder Meredith Speck for the 2026 season. It’s sad to see the Courage move on from a player like Speck, who has been a big part of the team and community in North Carolina. Speck was with the Western New York Flash when the team relocated to North Carolina and changed to the Courage so she has been with the team from the very beginning. She was a veteran presence who really became a leader for this squad. She spent nine seasons with the club and, in that time, made 100 appearances. She helped lead the club to three NWSL Shields, two NWSL Championships, and two NWSL Challenge Cup victories.
Thank you, Meredith, for everything you’ve given this team since Day 1 🩷
Meredith Speck leaves a legacy of championships, leadership, and heart that has shaped this team. pic.twitter.com/iD9NMgBTRc
— NC Courage (@TheNCCourage) February 12, 2026
News of the Week
The NWSL’s newest expansion club, Boston Legacy FC, revealed its first jerseys in club history this week. They’re calling the kit First Light, and it really is an awesome design. It’s simple, but the color scheme of the bright green base and neon pink borders works really well. It will be easy to spot and know exactly what team is being represented. It’s nice to see a team picking a color that isn’t used in the league much and adding a color pop to the field. It’s the first jersey reveal that we’ve gotten for the 2026 season that begins in just under a month.
Like the dawn of a new day, this kit is made for the moment when anything feels possible. First Light is clean, confident, and unmistakably Boston.
Grab yours before the city wakes up.https://t.co/RdWuWxRhxH
— Boston Legacy FC (@NWSLBoston) February 13, 2026
Transfer of the Week
The Kansas City Current made a lot of headlines this week with the addition of Croix Bethune, but they also traded their young star Claire Hutton to Bay FC. Kansas City got $1.1 million in return for Hutton, which is what helped the team go out and acquire Bethune. It was a bit of a shock trade, though, as Hutton has proved herself to be very good for the Current in her short professional career. Hutton signed with the Current in 2023 at just 17 years old. During her first season with the Current, she started 19 games and was a finalist for NWSL Rookie of the Year. Her breakout season though really came in 2025 when she started 22 games for the club and was named to the NWSL Best XI First Team and a finalist for NWSL Midfielder of the Year.
Hutton is a huge get for Bay FC, who are looking to turn things around in 2026. The young midfielder will bring a steady defensive presence to their squad.
Game of the Week
One of the best Round of 16 UEFA Women’s Champions League games was Wolfsburg taking on Juventus. Juventus seemed to be on their way to winning with a 2-0 lead thanks to a sixth-minute goal from Ana Capeta and then a second goal in the 61st minute from Amalie Vangsgaard. Down two goals, Wolfsburg was in danger of putting themselves in a really difficult position going into the second leg. But Wolfsburg didn’t give up, and they kept attacking, which led to them earning a penalty kick in the 82nd minute that Janina Minge converted to cut the lead in half. With the very last kick of the game, Sarai Linder found the equalizer to keep Wolfsburg’s Champions League hopes alive and well. The second leg between these two clubs will be for all the marbles, with the winner advancing to the next round. The next match will be on Thursday, February 19, at 12:45 ET.
Goal of the Week
Kerolin has been on an absolute tear for Manchester City this season, and that form continued in their 6-0 win over Leicester City. She scored an absolute banger from outside the box. The ball was sent out of the box, and Kerolin was able to run up and hit a one-touch strike that went soaring into the back of the net. It was a terrific goal, and she’s been so fun to watch this season.
Return of the Week
In great news this week, Angel City announced that they removed defender Savy King from the season-ending injury list. During Angel City’s match on May 9, 2025, King suffered a cardiac event on the field. She was transferred to a local hospital where she had to have open heart surgery, and they discovered that she had a rare congenital heart condition. It was a truly terrifying event, and we’re so glad that King was able to get the medical treatment she needed, and now she can return to the game she loves. King is currently available for Angel City’s preseason matches, and their regular season will start on March 15.
📰 ACFC removes defender Savy King from season-ending injury list.
King will now be available for selection for the club’s preseason exhibition matches and ACFC’s regular season, which begins 3/15 at BMO Stadium.Read more: https://t.co/zgzGYwZjX7 pic.twitter.com/Na2o2fNw0z
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) February 14, 2026
Team of the Week
Manchester United has been in great form this year. They’ve won seven straight games in all competitions and haven’t lost a match since early December. This week, they got a huge 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. In that match, they started the scoring early with a third-minute Elisabeth Terland goal. Then they added two more, thanks to Melvine Malard and Julia Zigiotti Olme, to put themselves in a great position to advance to the next round. Then, in WSL play, they knocked off London City 2-1 to stay in second place in the league standings. United has a busy week coming up with leg 2 of their matchups against Atletico Madrid on February 19, and then on the 22nd, they take on Chelsea in the FA Women’s Cup fifth round.
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