KC Current trades away one national team player, then quickly acquires another

The Kansas City Current became the epicenter of two stunning trades in pro soccer Wednesday afternoon, essentially swapping out two U.S. Women’s National Team players in their midfield.

Both are blockbusters for the National Women’s Soccer League.

First, the Current traded Claire Hutton to Bay FC in exchange for $1.1 million in intra-league transfer funds. Fifteen minutes later, KC’s NWSL club announced the acquisition of Croix Bethune from Washington Spirit for a total of $1 million — $900,000 in intra-league transfer funds and $100,000 in allocation money.

The two transfers rank as the league’s second- and third-largest ever. Hutton’s deal is the second-biggest, Bethune’s the third.

The Current signed Hutton, now 20, upon the arrival of former USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski as head coach in Kansas City. Andonovski immediately stuck Hutton, a U-18 initiative signee, into his starting midfield lineup.

Hutton continued to blossom during her two seasons in Kansas City, becoming a USWNT regular and finalist for midfielder of the year in 2025. She was recently lauded by U.S. national team coach Emma Hayes as “a future captain of the USWNT.”

“Kansas City, thank you,” Hutton wrote Wednesday on her Instagram. “Saying goodbye is never easy, so this was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make.

“Thank you KC Current for taking a chance on me and believing in me day in and day out. You are the place that opened the door to my first professional contract, and truly became a home away from home.”

A closer look at Hutton’s exit, addition of Bethune

It was not immediately clear whether Hutton requested this trade or not.

But NWSL players who are already under contract must give their consent for such moves. And Hutton’s contract extended through the 2026 season.

The Current organization did not include a quote from anyone on its technical staff or ownership team — typical for a player’s departure — in announcing that Hutton had been traded.

In a recent interview with The Athletic, Hutton said she had considered moving overseas to play. Instead, she lands in the Bay Area.

Bethune, meanwhile, was the third overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft. With the Spirit she went on to become that season’s NWSL Rookie of the Year and Midfielder of the Year despite missing the final nine matches with a torn meniscus.

She made the NWSL Best XI second team in 2025, with two goals and two assists. But she had clearly requested a trade out of Washington.

Spirit president of soccer operations Haley Carter said in a statement that, after conversations with Bethune about development opportunities elsewhere, the two sides “were able to structure a deal that honored her request while securing significant value for our club.”

Current brass is excited about Bethune and her potential for even more development and growth.

“Croix is an exceptional playmaker with limitless potential,” Current general manager Ryan Dell in the KC team’s news release. “Her elite creativity and passing ability combined with her tactical versatility — plus her resilience and passion — make her a great fit for our club, on and off the pitch. We are thrilled to welcome Croix to Kansas City and are excited about the future of our team.”

Bethune will be officially introduced as a member of the Current later this week.

Bottom line: Making sense of the KC Current’s trades

On paper, the Current’s two Wednesday trades may appear to cancel each other out.

But practically speaking, it’s not like-for-like.

Hutton is more of a 6/8 hybrid. She can play defensively or box-to-box and is excellent on the ball, jump-starting transitions and defending through the middle of the field.

Bethune has elite play-making ability both on the dribble and with the pass. But she is more of an 8/10 hybrid midfielder. She is adept at playing in tight spaces in the final third, dinking and dishing to her teammates while also finishing shots and adding goals in the middle of the park.

That leaves, quite fairly, some questions about how all of the Current’s current pieces will fit together. The prospect of Debinha, Bethune, Chawinga, Cooper and Sentnor flying around in the final third is a scary one for Kansas City’s opponents.

But does the balance behind it make sense? That will be a question that becomes answered through the club’s first preseason under new head coach Chris Armas.

Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.

This story was originally published February 11, 2026 at 3:50 PM.