November 19, 2024 • 29 mins
Washington Spirit and U.S. Women’s National Team midfielder Croix Bethune joins Sarah to share how her dad’s wise words inspire her both on the pitch and in life, plus she discusses her love of bowling, old school R&B and taking herself on solo dates. Most importantly, we get her take on Spirit owner Michelle Kang’s best fit to date. Hint: it involves some very high heels.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to good game with Sarah Spain, where we wish
more people in Aspanya would comment on my name being Spain.
Come mon, it's cool right See It's Tuesday, November nineteenth.
Today we're talking to Washington Spirit midfielder Croyd Bethune about
her incredible debut season, how she stays positive during injury rehab,
taking herself on bowling dates and a safe place for
(00:21):
her Olympic gold medal, plus travel trinkets and turkey time.
It's all coming up next. Welcome back Slices, niche has
your need to know today.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Thank you so much, Sarah and NWSL Soccer News. The
Washington Spirit and the Orlando Pride have punched their tickets
to the league final in Kansas City. The Spirit advanced
in comeback fashion yet again on their home field Saturday,
going down one nil in the fifty six minute when
Gotham FC's Estere Gonzalez put a header home off across
from yasmine. Ryan Audifield stayed on pins and needles until
(01:04):
the third minute of stoppage time, when hal Hirshfelt was
the hero. She netted a header of her own to
tie the score at one. No goals were scored an
extra time and it all came down to penalty kicks.
The Spirit converted on their first three, and goalkeeper Aubrey
Kingsbury delivered the performance of a lifetime, saving all three
of Gotham's attempts to seal the deal for Washington. And
(01:25):
on Sunday, the Pride in the Kansas City Current put
together an electric match. Debinia struck first for KC in
the thirty third minute, but the advantage didn't last long.
Orlando's Hayley McCutcheon answered in the forty first to tie
things up going into the half. In the fifty third minute,
it was Barbara Bandit time.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Baby.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
The forward fired a.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Laser of a strike into the bottom left corner that
probably would have taken Kansas City's goalkeeper's hand off had
she been able to make contact with it. The score
stayed still at to one Pride until the eighty second minute,
when Marta made her mark like only she can.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
The goal she.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Scored can only be described as the most beautiful piece
of soccer I've personally ever seen. She dropped not one,
but two defenders plus the Current's goalkeeper, straight up diabolical.
We'll link to the highlight in the show notes, MARTA's
gold put the Pride up three to one. Kansas City
made things interesting with a Vanessa de Bernardo penalty during
a lengthy stoppage time, but they just ran out a runway.
(02:21):
Orlando took the dub three to two. The NWSL final
between the Spirit and the Pride takes place on Saturday
at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City at eight pm Eastern.
Sarah and I will be there and we hope to
see some use license there too.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
DMV stand up. We about to get another one maybe elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
In pro soccer news, we want to say a huge
congratulations to west Ham FC midfielder Christy Lewis and Chelsea
FC forward Sam Kerr, who announced.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
That they're going to be parents.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
The two posted a collajah photos to Instagram in which
Kerr holds up an ultrasound scan and Ewis reveals her belly.
The caption reads quote mwis her baby coming twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
End quote footy and gay shit. Gotta love it. Congrats y'all.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
In golf news, Nellie Korda is back in her first
competition in almost two months due to a minor neck injury.
She won the Anica on Sunday. Corda trailed entering the
final round and it took five straight birdies on the
back nine to get the job done. It was the
fourth time this year that she won when trailing entering
the final round, and she's had a great twenty twenty
(03:27):
four overall. Earlier this year, she tied an LPGA record
with five straight victories and became the first American to
win seven times in a season since Beth Daniel in
nineteen ninety. In tennis News, the second semifinal of the
Billy Jean King Cup is today. It'll be Great Britain
versus Slovakia. Slovakia has made waves in the tournament, already
(03:47):
upsetting the US in its opener. The winner of today's
match will play in the BJK Cup Final on Wednesday.
In WNBA News, the twenty twenty five draft lottery took
place on Sunday and the Dallas Wings won the number
one overall pick. The La Sparks will have the number
two pick, followed by the Chicago Sky at three in
the Washington Mystics at four. Now, this is a big
(04:08):
win for a Dallas franchise that's in the midst of
a lot of change. They've got a new GM and
Kurt Miller and a head coaching vacancy to fill. Wingstar
arique A Gumbuwale was pumped about the lottery win, posting
on Twitter, quote, I just fell.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
To my knees. Thank you Lord end quote.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Will the Wings select projected number one overall? Pick Page
Becker's out of Yukon. We'll see when the twenty twenty
five WNBA Draft goes down.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
On April fourteenth, more WNBA news.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame announced it's twenty twenty
five class over the weekend, and it's full of WNBA grades.
Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowls, Cappy Pond Dexter, and Elena Beard
all made the cut, as they should because these resumes
are impeccable. Bird is a five time Olympic gold medalist
and four time WNBA champ with the Seattle Storm. Fowls
(04:56):
is a four time gold medalist, two time WNBA champ
with the Minnesota Lynx and two time Finals MVP. Beard
won a championship with the LA Sparks and is a
two time Defensive Player of the Year. And Pondexter is
an Olympic gold medalist, two time WNBA champion with the
Phoenix Mercury, and Finals MVP. Congratulations to these living legends.
I am so so grateful I got to grow up
(05:17):
watching y'all hoop. In college Hoops News, Yukon head coach
Gino Oriama tied Tara Vanderveer's record for total NCAA wins
on Friday night. His Number two Huskies sixty nine to
fifty eight win over number fifteen ranked North Carolina was
the one thousand, two hundred and sixteenth of his career
to go with only one hundred and sixty two losses.
He's now on the precipice of setting the new record
(05:40):
regardless of gender. He'll have his first chance to become
the winningest coach in NCAA college basketball history on Wednesday
when Yukon plays Fairleigh.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Dickinson. Thanks me. We gotta take a break when we
come back. It's Kroy Bethune. We caught up with her
last week before the playoffs got underway. That's coming up next.
She's an Olympic gold medalist, an attacking midfielder for the
US women's national team, and the Washington Spirit of the NWSL.
(06:10):
She played college soccer for the USC Trojans and the
Georgia Bulldogs twice was named First team All American. She
was selected by the Spirit third overall in the twenty
twenty four NWSL draft and tied the single season assist
record in this rookie season despite missing more than two
months of the season to injury. She loves a fit
pick and she'll beat your ass in bowling. It's Kroy Bethune.
(06:31):
What's up, KROI?
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Hey, how are you?
Speaker 1 (06:34):
I'm good? First, congrats on an absolutely incredible rookie season,
even despite the time, missed five goals, a league leading
tennis sists in just seventeen appearances, four NWSL Rookie of
the Month honors every single month in which you played.
That's unreal. Did you have specific goals that you wrote
down before the season that you look back at now
(06:55):
and see how your sort of reality matched her expectations?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yeah? Thank you, and yeah I had a lot of
goals written down. I'm big on manifestations, so I feel
like whatever energy I put down, I can succeed and
accomplish those goals.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Yeah. I'm a big manifestation person too. I've gotten into
all the sciencey side of it, of the neuroplasticity of
actually training your brain to like start practicing doing the
things you want to you want to do. There's a
difference though, between thinking it and doing it. I think
sometimes when people have these incredible accomplishments so early on,
it feels almost like, what like it's hard, like legally blonde?
(07:34):
Are you able to put in perspective? How like what
you just I was just listening to Sammy Muis talking
about how like I never had ten assists, not once
in my career, and you just did that in your
rookie season. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
I mean I'm strong and like believing in myself, in
the power of the tongue, like whatever you speak into positivity.
I feel like I can do it. These are goals
that I wanted to accomplish, and within the first half
I feel like I did so looking back sometimes it
seems a little unreal. But I believe that I can
do it, and then actually doing it, it's it's great.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
To whom do you attribute that belief system? Is that
someone that comes from family, from coaches, from mentors, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
From my parents. My dad actually wrote this out. If
you don't mind me reading it. Yeah, it's watch your
thoughts they become your words. Watch your words they become actions.
Your actions become habits. Habits become character. Character becomes destiny.
All is thought, that is all. That's actually my screen saver. Yeah,
so I'm like, I believe in that heavily.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Yeah that's a favorite. That's a really good one. Okay.
So you have this incredible rookie nwslc's and you also
got your first taste of national team play, little thing
called an Olympic gold medal. No big deal. You were
elevated to the main roster at the Olympics because of
an injury to Jaden Shaw, and you made your Olympic
debut in the seventy ninth minute of the third group
stage game against Australia. Take us back to that moment.
(09:01):
What are the feelings? Nerves, excitement, joy.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
A little bit of nerves. I've been waiting for this
moment for so long, so for it to actually be here,
it was a little surreal. Going in as an alternate.
I didn't really have any expectations of like playing or
you know, actually having the chance to get out there.
But stay ready so you don't have to get ready
so when the opportunity came, I was excited. Before stepping
(09:28):
on the field, the nerves kind of just dropped a
little bit, and I've more so wanted to focus on
performing well and helping the team out as much as
I possibly could.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Is there a US Women's national team player in particular
that you went to for advice or maybe was helping
and preparing you for this big international tournament experience at
the senior level. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
So Lindsay actually reached out to me before the Olympics
and I think my first camp and was just like hey,
like it's Lindsay, hope you're doing well. I know you're
coming in the camp. Just kind of words of like
encouraging words letting me know that I do belong here
and if I mean anything, like she's there. That actually
meant a lot for me coming from her, especially like
(10:06):
she's the captain, she's one of the ogs and then
mal at the Olympics, I feel like she kind of
took me under her wing as like a big sis
in the college days, like we would have a lot
of comparisons and within our game, and I feel like
her as a player is amazing, but getting to know
her as a person like she's very well rounded, so
(10:28):
I have a lot of respect for her just looking
after me.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Those are two pretty good people to take advice from,
to get leadership from, you know, Lindsay hErenn got a
lot of criticism during the Olympics, but when you look
at the way her teammates speak about her, the way
Emma Hayes spoke about her, her leadership is quite clear.
Was that hard for you guys on the team to
experience that dissonance between what you feel about her versus
(10:53):
what was being said about her by some of the
media or fans personally?
Speaker 3 (10:57):
No, I feel like everyone's always going to have something
to say, no matter what, whether it's positive or negative.
And we're inside the bubble, We're with her every day.
We actually know who she is and how she is,
so I feel like that's just people outside of the
bubble chatting. But her leadership is amazing and I love
(11:17):
how serious and focused she is and she wants to win,
but she can balance still being lindsay.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah, where's your metal now?
Speaker 3 (11:27):
It's hidden, It's in a safe, it's protected.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Not a sock drawer, not in the bathroom, no where. No,
we're weird. Just somewhere safe. Yeah, yeah, I heard you're
really into music, so I need to know if you
have a go to song for pregame to get hyped.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Not a song, more so like genres and artists. I'm
big on old school music R and B, so I
tend to listen to that on the way there, just
to enjoy the vibe, like.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Don L.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Jones, Gat Band, Lorn Hill Erica and There's a bunch
but those are a couple. Yeah. And then when I
get to like the locker room, I turn on some
rat some hip hop to really get me like focused
and locked in, ready to go.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Who are some of your fabs?
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Young Thug, Future, maybe young Boy? Those three really get
me ants cool.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
I heard you like a Thursday solo date night watching
live music, preferably R and B. Why solo?
Speaker 3 (12:37):
I feel like self love is the best love. Sometimes
you just need to get away and enjoy your own company.
For me, it's very soothing and rejuvenating, and I found
that I enjoy being by myself sometimes, so I feel
like every once in a while, just spoiling yourself is
good for your energy.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I like that for concerts and music sometimes too, because
I hate when people try to talk to me during
live music. I'm like, that's not about you. I'm literally
here for the music. So the up. Yeah, I heard
you also do solo bowling dates, going out to the
lanes alone, working on your game. What's your best score?
Speaker 3 (13:14):
I got like almost I think like two hundred ones. Whoa, yeah,
I'm getting up there. I'm trying to get a perfect score.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
My bess is one eighty five, which is pretty good,
but not not two hundred.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
No, that's still good.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Do you have your own ball?
Speaker 3 (13:30):
I do. My grandma actually passed away and they were
My dad was going through stuff and found the bowling ball.
Her and my grandpa they had bowling balls and I
actually took her bag in the ball that she uses. Ease.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
I love that. So that's great. Are you Are you
right down right down Main Street down the middle or
do you.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Throw a curve herd ball all day?
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I cannot do that? I okay, I'm jealous. I can't
extract this.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
Yeah, you get there.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Yeah, you're a young person to be so comfortable and
happy hanging solo. Has that always been the case or
do you think some of that is to offset the
amount of time you spend in a team situation where
you have to be thinking about the needs of everybody
else out on the field. That's a good question.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
I feel like as time has gone on and I've
matured and gone through certain situations or just life, I've
had to learn to enjoy my own company again. Also,
just being around a lot of people all day, all
the time, every day, sometimes it gets a little overwhelming
(14:37):
or too much, so you need an escape. So I
feel like it's a little bit of mixture of both.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
It sounds like an introvert talking introvert. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
I feel like when I was younger, as an extrovert,
I enjoy people. I feel like I'm a people person.
But I don't know. I feel like I'm becoming a
little bit of both, and I'm enjoying it good.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
I'm what they call an extroverted extrovert. Basically, the more
people I'm around, the more energy I have. Every once
in a while, I have to recharge. But that's great
that you can find a balance in both. You started
playing soccer when you were really young, and then your
family spent three years in England in your sort of
pre teen years. How do you think time in that
(15:18):
sort of soccer crazed country impacted your skill set or
your interest in the game.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
Yeah, I think it grew the love that I have
for the game. Soccer is huge in Europe, but it's
a different there's a difference between soccer and Europe and overseas.
Actually being at some menu games, it showed me how
much fans loved soccer. It was dope. I have an
older brother, so playing with him and his team made
(15:46):
me a lot more competitive. It made me want to win.
It made me learn how much soccer is quicker and
stronger with boys compared to girls or women.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Growing up.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
I feel like it helped me a lot pre pro
or pre team in college life.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Yeah, in your household, is it soccer or football? Soccer? Soccer?
All right? Good?
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Yeah? Back in the States, you had.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
A tremendous amount of success in high school and college
despite three ACL tears before you'd even graduated college. What's
it like doing three rehabs? And how do you stay
positive knowing the second and the third time? Okay, I've
already been through this. I know what I'm about to
have to do. How did you stay positive during that?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
It sucks for sure, But I mean the support system
I had is amazing. My parents, my brother, the coaching
staff of Kadani, and the whole medical staff at USC
was amazing. The first time, it was scary because I've
never ever gotten hurt and for my first injury to
be so major was crazy, especially the time that happened.
(16:54):
I missed out on the World Cup for you some
team so in freshman year. But the first one I
got through, and after that the second one, I was
kind of like, okay, like I've been here before, I
know what's gonna happen. I know how to get through it.
But it was just kind of like Dan, like here
we go again, you know, But also just being surrounded
(17:16):
by amazing people, my teammates. I had a lot of
teammates that I grew up with and played with, so
it was kind of like I had multiple different families
around me at one time. And the third one was
really just unfortunate. It also stuck too, But I feel
like that one taught me the most about myself, how
patient I am, how strong I am, how much I
really do love the game and still want to play.
(17:40):
A lot of people don't know this, but it also
made the decision for me at the time I was
deciding whether I wanted to stay another year or go pro,
and I feel like that ACL kind of showed me, Okay,
stay another year, take more time, and then thrive after.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
It's so hard watching ACL tears across soccer landscape, and
I feel like there's a disconnected part between what science
and medical experts say about some preventative things, like there's
something called the pet method that I've spoken to doctors
saying if every team did this for fifteen minutes before
every practice, it would help. And then the media, which
seems to think that we're sort of stuck in decades
(18:19):
old conversation about how we don't understand why there are
so many injuries. It just keeps happening on a team level,
both in collagen at the pros, Like how much conversation
is there amongst you and your teammates about the prevalence
of ACL injuries and trying to figure out how to
be preventative.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
I mean, it's it's thrown in the air sometimes here
and there, especially when someone does have the injury, then
the conversation is very hot in the moment. But I mean,
I agree, I mean there's a lot of confusion as
to why it's happening, especially in women, it's so common.
I mean, you can tear your aco by doing something
so simple or literally being taken out. So we kind
(18:59):
of wonder, like, is it the way that our bodies
are made genetics, DNA or simply like you're saying, science,
do we need to prent more?
Speaker 1 (19:08):
So?
Speaker 3 (19:09):
I feel like it's up in the air. I mean,
at Spirit we have a great medical staff, but we
should still kind of figure out what's really going.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
On, keep studying. That's where all the money should be
going in the women's studying right now. In terms of
sports science, you play such an audacious game. It's really flashy,
it's really aggressive, it's really beautiful. Have you ever been
advised to tone it down or to play a different style
because of those early injuries? Do they ever just say
play it straight, Kroy, like you're gonna get it done,
(19:38):
just you know, without all the flash.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
Honestly, thankfully, no. I feel like all the coaches I've
had in the past have respected who I am and
how I play, and that's what makes me me. So
they just continue to push me to be me, and
I mean it gets the job done. So if it's
not broke, don't fix serah, that's right.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
That's right. You tore orr meniscus while throwing out the
first pitch at the Nationals game. How's the rehab going?
How is the meniscus injury different at all from your
previous knee injuries.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Yeah, the rehab's going great. About ten weeks. A lot
of even strength now, which is amazing. Just continue working
on strength and mobility. I feel like this one is
a lot easier in the sense of time. I feel
like I'm doing a lot more way earlier than if
I tore my aco ten weeks ago, especially pain and
(20:31):
stress wise, So I feel like that's a positive thing
with this meniscus.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Here, tell us about your dog. I imagine he spends
a lot of time with you during rehab, the big
and the small moments of coming back. What's his name?
Speaker 3 (20:45):
So? I have a dog named Cush. He's an American
Staffordshire and an American Terrier. He has a little bit
of other things mixed with him. But yeah, he's a
nine month paity. He's so cute.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Nine months Okay, So is this your first, like dog
of your own?
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Yes, this is my first dog on my own.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Are you are you like a protective doggy mama, Are
you like the kind? He's dressing him up in Halloween
costumes and he has his own Instagram.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
No, h we're working on the Instagram. I'm a very
affectionate dog mom. He's like very sweet and loves cuddles.
But I also don't like when people like try to
tell me how to be a mom. Fair. Yeah, but
the injury, he's been great. I feel like when I
first came back, he noticed like, oh, something's wrong with mommy,
(21:39):
like let me be gentle. But as time's going on,
he's just been there, supporting lovey, you know, being a
big old baby.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Pities are the best snugglers. My little Pity Banks is
basically a barnacle attached to me at every moment possible.
My dogs do have their own Instagram. I feel like
if Kush got his own Instagram, there'd be a lot
of questions about Push the Pit's name. Can you take
us through that?
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Yeah, I just think I've never met a dog with
that name, so I thought it was pretty cool to do.
And yeah, he's handsome. I mean, when you see him,
it kind of fits him.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Yeah, No, I saw him before the interview started. That
is a handsome pup. That is a handsome pup. Ye, okay,
So you've got the pity to support you. You've got
a great medical staff. Tell me about some of your teammates.
You step onto the scene as this highly tied rookie,
this high draft pick, high expectations. You blow all of
them out of the water. You're winning Rookie of the month,
Rookie of the month, Rookie of the month. How has
(22:35):
it been sort of adjusting to being a professional soccer
player and to being around other teammates who are both
supportive and also you know, trying to get theirs and
have their own success.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
I feel like adjusting has been great. I feel like
I've been prepared for this moment for a couple of
years now, Like I mentioned, staying another year. Also the
coaches and staff. I've been surrounded with college, but a
lot of the rookies are already knew, whether that's national
team camps or how I used to play at Concord
with or playing against teammates like Heather and Courtney at Utah.
(23:10):
So we're not new to each other, which is great.
And also since there's a lot of us, it's kind
of like we have our own little rookie families. So
we've been getting through the rookie year with each other,
which has been amazing. I just like how welcoming everyone is.
It just feels really comfortable and no one being judgy
(23:30):
or jealous or any of that. So I feel like
this class has honestly been amazing and always.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
This is going to be a tough season to top,
even with the jury, Like, other than staying healthy, of course,
we're going to want that, but I trust you also
have some other big plans for next year. Do you
have any goals you want to share?
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Of course, health of course, And then I'll just say,
topping what I did this year, I just want to
continue to build off of each layer.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Yeah, what's your status for when you actually can hopefully
start just getting back to full speed practices and everything else,
hopefully before preseason.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
I mean, I feel like God had another injury in
my plan in my journey, and since he did, I
feel like the timing was kind of perfect. I have preseason,
which gives me a little bit of extra time to
get ready for season, so I feel like I'll be ready.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Before Okay, before I let you go, we need to
do a speed round the all time soccer player men's
or women's that you most admire.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Women's we have Marta Tobin of course, and I'll say
Megan in there as well.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Nice top three nice.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
And then men's messy Ronaldinho honestly, all the Brazilian and
Ronaldo Valdo.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
All those yep, current player in the NWSL that you
look to you and you aspire to be.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Like a great question. Honestly, I'd have to go back
to now. I just have so much respect for her
and just thinking about like back in the day there
was a lot of comparison to us, and I definitely
see it. So I have a lot of respect for
as a person and a player.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
NWSL player from another team you'd most want to play with.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
I wanted to play with Ashley Sanchez such to say, but.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Yeah, NWSL player from another team you hate to play.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Against either, so Smith or Nay.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
I was gonna say, Naomy Germa is a good answer
for anyone who just is like she makes it so
tough back there.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
Yeah, yeah, Nay and I have gone to a bunch
of camps together. But also just playing against her at
Stanford each year, it was like she's like that is
really good.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Okay. Owner of the Spirit, Michelle Kang is known for
her over the top fits. Do you have a favorite
Michelle Kang fit?
Speaker 3 (26:10):
I do. I can't remember exactly what, but I know
she had on this like either white or cream dress
and some like really high heels and I was like, Michelle,
you look great.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Probably had a cape too. She's got a lot of kiss.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Yeah, she does. For her to like walk on the
field with the grass and just look unfazed. It's really,
it's unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
She really, yes, how do you do it? She has
a very intimidating energy. It's like a little bit of
like Big Dick energy times like Devil Wears Prada and
a wind Tour energy.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
Okay, yeah, it's kind of.
Speaker 1 (26:44):
Terrifying to be honest, at least for me. Croy. We've
had so much fun talking to you. You are such
a professional already at just twenty three years old, both
in the way you carry yourself and in your game,
and we are dying to see how high that ceiling
is for you. Because this season was so much fun,
We're thinking about your health and we're so excited for
(27:05):
when you're back. Thanks so much for giving us some time.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Thank you, thank you for having me. You're amazing a
lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Thanks again De Croix for the time, and congrats on
all the success. Can't wait to see you back out
on the pitch. We gotta pay the bills. BRB, You're back,
so are we, So slices. I booked a few days
of VAK with the hubby in Spain over the weekend
(27:33):
before work started. And whenever we travel to a new
country together, we buy a Christmas ornament to add to
our tree. So every year when we decorate, we get
to remember all the places that we've been together. It's
my favorite tradition. So I'm wondering for our good gameplay
of the day. Do you collect anything when you travel? Magnets, keychains, bowls.
We would love to see the fruits of your travels,
(27:53):
so send us a pick, tell us about it. Our
email is good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or leave
us a voicemail eight seven two two four fifty seventy
and you know it's coming. Don't forget to subscribe, rate
and review. It's easy. Watch when you're the perfect amount
of tipsy to crush at the bowling lanes. Rating ten
out of ten strikes review. You're not sobern off to
(28:14):
stress about it, but you're not so drunk that your
aim is off. You're right in the middle, just like
the balls you're tossing right down Main Street, hitting the
pocket between the one and the three pins. Turkey time, baby,
Now it's your turn. Rate and review. Thanks for listening,
See you tomorrow. Good game, Croy, Good Game, Cush Few
pitching mounds. Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart
(28:37):
women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network,
our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive
producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder.
Our editors are Emily Rudder, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and
(28:57):
Lindsay Cradowell. Production assistant from lie See Jones and I'm
your host Sarah Spain
Welcome to good game with Sarah Spain, where we wish
more people in Aspanya would comment on my name being Spain.
Come mon, it's cool right See It's Tuesday, November nineteenth.
Today we're talking to Washington Spirit midfielder Croyd Bethune about
her incredible debut season, how she stays positive during injury rehab,
taking herself on bowling dates and a safe place for
(00:21):
her Olympic gold medal, plus travel trinkets and turkey time.
It's all coming up next. Welcome back Slices, niche has
your need to know today.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Thank you so much, Sarah and NWSL Soccer News. The
Washington Spirit and the Orlando Pride have punched their tickets
to the league final in Kansas City. The Spirit advanced
in comeback fashion yet again on their home field Saturday,
going down one nil in the fifty six minute when
Gotham FC's Estere Gonzalez put a header home off across
from yasmine. Ryan Audifield stayed on pins and needles until
(01:04):
the third minute of stoppage time, when hal Hirshfelt was
the hero. She netted a header of her own to
tie the score at one. No goals were scored an
extra time and it all came down to penalty kicks.
The Spirit converted on their first three, and goalkeeper Aubrey
Kingsbury delivered the performance of a lifetime, saving all three
of Gotham's attempts to seal the deal for Washington. And
(01:25):
on Sunday, the Pride in the Kansas City Current put
together an electric match. Debinia struck first for KC in
the thirty third minute, but the advantage didn't last long.
Orlando's Hayley McCutcheon answered in the forty first to tie
things up going into the half. In the fifty third minute,
it was Barbara Bandit time.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Baby.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
The forward fired a.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Laser of a strike into the bottom left corner that
probably would have taken Kansas City's goalkeeper's hand off had
she been able to make contact with it. The score
stayed still at to one Pride until the eighty second minute,
when Marta made her mark like only she can.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
The goal she.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Scored can only be described as the most beautiful piece
of soccer I've personally ever seen. She dropped not one,
but two defenders plus the Current's goalkeeper, straight up diabolical.
We'll link to the highlight in the show notes, MARTA's
gold put the Pride up three to one. Kansas City
made things interesting with a Vanessa de Bernardo penalty during
a lengthy stoppage time, but they just ran out a runway.
(02:21):
Orlando took the dub three to two. The NWSL final
between the Spirit and the Pride takes place on Saturday
at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City at eight pm Eastern.
Sarah and I will be there and we hope to
see some use license there too.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
DMV stand up. We about to get another one maybe elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
In pro soccer news, we want to say a huge
congratulations to west Ham FC midfielder Christy Lewis and Chelsea
FC forward Sam Kerr, who announced.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
That they're going to be parents.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
The two posted a collajah photos to Instagram in which
Kerr holds up an ultrasound scan and Ewis reveals her belly.
The caption reads quote mwis her baby coming twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
End quote footy and gay shit. Gotta love it. Congrats y'all.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
In golf news, Nellie Korda is back in her first
competition in almost two months due to a minor neck injury.
She won the Anica on Sunday. Corda trailed entering the
final round and it took five straight birdies on the
back nine to get the job done. It was the
fourth time this year that she won when trailing entering
the final round, and she's had a great twenty twenty
(03:27):
four overall. Earlier this year, she tied an LPGA record
with five straight victories and became the first American to
win seven times in a season since Beth Daniel in
nineteen ninety. In tennis News, the second semifinal of the
Billy Jean King Cup is today. It'll be Great Britain
versus Slovakia. Slovakia has made waves in the tournament, already
(03:47):
upsetting the US in its opener. The winner of today's
match will play in the BJK Cup Final on Wednesday.
In WNBA News, the twenty twenty five draft lottery took
place on Sunday and the Dallas Wings won the number
one overall pick. The La Sparks will have the number
two pick, followed by the Chicago Sky at three in
the Washington Mystics at four. Now, this is a big
(04:08):
win for a Dallas franchise that's in the midst of
a lot of change. They've got a new GM and
Kurt Miller and a head coaching vacancy to fill. Wingstar
arique A Gumbuwale was pumped about the lottery win, posting
on Twitter, quote, I just fell.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
To my knees. Thank you Lord end quote.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Will the Wings select projected number one overall? Pick Page
Becker's out of Yukon. We'll see when the twenty twenty
five WNBA Draft goes down.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
On April fourteenth, more WNBA news.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame announced it's twenty twenty
five class over the weekend, and it's full of WNBA grades.
Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowls, Cappy Pond Dexter, and Elena Beard
all made the cut, as they should because these resumes
are impeccable. Bird is a five time Olympic gold medalist
and four time WNBA champ with the Seattle Storm. Fowls
(04:56):
is a four time gold medalist, two time WNBA champ
with the Minnesota Lynx and two time Finals MVP. Beard
won a championship with the LA Sparks and is a
two time Defensive Player of the Year. And Pondexter is
an Olympic gold medalist, two time WNBA champion with the
Phoenix Mercury, and Finals MVP. Congratulations to these living legends.
I am so so grateful I got to grow up
(05:17):
watching y'all hoop. In college Hoops News, Yukon head coach
Gino Oriama tied Tara Vanderveer's record for total NCAA wins
on Friday night. His Number two Huskies sixty nine to
fifty eight win over number fifteen ranked North Carolina was
the one thousand, two hundred and sixteenth of his career
to go with only one hundred and sixty two losses.
He's now on the precipice of setting the new record
(05:40):
regardless of gender. He'll have his first chance to become
the winningest coach in NCAA college basketball history on Wednesday
when Yukon plays Fairleigh.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Dickinson. Thanks me. We gotta take a break when we
come back. It's Kroy Bethune. We caught up with her
last week before the playoffs got underway. That's coming up next.
She's an Olympic gold medalist, an attacking midfielder for the
US women's national team, and the Washington Spirit of the NWSL.
(06:10):
She played college soccer for the USC Trojans and the
Georgia Bulldogs twice was named First team All American. She
was selected by the Spirit third overall in the twenty
twenty four NWSL draft and tied the single season assist
record in this rookie season despite missing more than two
months of the season to injury. She loves a fit
pick and she'll beat your ass in bowling. It's Kroy Bethune.
(06:31):
What's up, KROI?
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Hey, how are you?
Speaker 1 (06:34):
I'm good? First, congrats on an absolutely incredible rookie season,
even despite the time, missed five goals, a league leading
tennis sists in just seventeen appearances, four NWSL Rookie of
the Month honors every single month in which you played.
That's unreal. Did you have specific goals that you wrote
down before the season that you look back at now
(06:55):
and see how your sort of reality matched her expectations?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yeah? Thank you, and yeah I had a lot of
goals written down. I'm big on manifestations, so I feel
like whatever energy I put down, I can succeed and
accomplish those goals.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Yeah. I'm a big manifestation person too. I've gotten into
all the sciencey side of it, of the neuroplasticity of
actually training your brain to like start practicing doing the
things you want to you want to do. There's a
difference though, between thinking it and doing it. I think
sometimes when people have these incredible accomplishments so early on,
it feels almost like, what like it's hard, like legally blonde?
(07:34):
Are you able to put in perspective? How like what
you just I was just listening to Sammy Muis talking
about how like I never had ten assists, not once
in my career, and you just did that in your
rookie season. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
I mean I'm strong and like believing in myself, in
the power of the tongue, like whatever you speak into positivity.
I feel like I can do it. These are goals
that I wanted to accomplish, and within the first half
I feel like I did so looking back sometimes it
seems a little unreal. But I believe that I can
do it, and then actually doing it, it's it's great.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
To whom do you attribute that belief system? Is that
someone that comes from family, from coaches, from mentors, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
From my parents. My dad actually wrote this out. If
you don't mind me reading it. Yeah, it's watch your
thoughts they become your words. Watch your words they become actions.
Your actions become habits. Habits become character. Character becomes destiny.
All is thought, that is all. That's actually my screen saver. Yeah,
so I'm like, I believe in that heavily.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Yeah that's a favorite. That's a really good one. Okay.
So you have this incredible rookie nwslc's and you also
got your first taste of national team play, little thing
called an Olympic gold medal. No big deal. You were
elevated to the main roster at the Olympics because of
an injury to Jaden Shaw, and you made your Olympic
debut in the seventy ninth minute of the third group
stage game against Australia. Take us back to that moment.
(09:01):
What are the feelings? Nerves, excitement, joy.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
A little bit of nerves. I've been waiting for this
moment for so long, so for it to actually be here,
it was a little surreal. Going in as an alternate.
I didn't really have any expectations of like playing or
you know, actually having the chance to get out there.
But stay ready so you don't have to get ready
so when the opportunity came, I was excited. Before stepping
(09:28):
on the field, the nerves kind of just dropped a
little bit, and I've more so wanted to focus on
performing well and helping the team out as much as
I possibly could.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Is there a US Women's national team player in particular
that you went to for advice or maybe was helping
and preparing you for this big international tournament experience at
the senior level. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
So Lindsay actually reached out to me before the Olympics
and I think my first camp and was just like hey,
like it's Lindsay, hope you're doing well. I know you're
coming in the camp. Just kind of words of like
encouraging words letting me know that I do belong here
and if I mean anything, like she's there. That actually
meant a lot for me coming from her, especially like
(10:06):
she's the captain, she's one of the ogs and then
mal at the Olympics, I feel like she kind of
took me under her wing as like a big sis
in the college days, like we would have a lot
of comparisons and within our game, and I feel like
her as a player is amazing, but getting to know
her as a person like she's very well rounded, so
(10:28):
I have a lot of respect for her just looking
after me.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Those are two pretty good people to take advice from,
to get leadership from, you know, Lindsay hErenn got a
lot of criticism during the Olympics, but when you look
at the way her teammates speak about her, the way
Emma Hayes spoke about her, her leadership is quite clear.
Was that hard for you guys on the team to
experience that dissonance between what you feel about her versus
(10:53):
what was being said about her by some of the
media or fans personally?
Speaker 3 (10:57):
No, I feel like everyone's always going to have something
to say, no matter what, whether it's positive or negative.
And we're inside the bubble, We're with her every day.
We actually know who she is and how she is,
so I feel like that's just people outside of the
bubble chatting. But her leadership is amazing and I love
(11:17):
how serious and focused she is and she wants to win,
but she can balance still being lindsay.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah, where's your metal now?
Speaker 3 (11:27):
It's hidden, It's in a safe, it's protected.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Not a sock drawer, not in the bathroom, no where. No,
we're weird. Just somewhere safe. Yeah, yeah, I heard you're
really into music, so I need to know if you
have a go to song for pregame to get hyped.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Not a song, more so like genres and artists. I'm
big on old school music R and B, so I
tend to listen to that on the way there, just
to enjoy the vibe, like.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Don L.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Jones, Gat Band, Lorn Hill Erica and There's a bunch
but those are a couple. Yeah. And then when I
get to like the locker room, I turn on some
rat some hip hop to really get me like focused
and locked in, ready to go.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Who are some of your fabs?
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Young Thug, Future, maybe young Boy? Those three really get
me ants cool.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
I heard you like a Thursday solo date night watching
live music, preferably R and B. Why solo?
Speaker 3 (12:37):
I feel like self love is the best love. Sometimes
you just need to get away and enjoy your own company.
For me, it's very soothing and rejuvenating, and I found
that I enjoy being by myself sometimes, so I feel
like every once in a while, just spoiling yourself is
good for your energy.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I like that for concerts and music sometimes too, because
I hate when people try to talk to me during
live music. I'm like, that's not about you. I'm literally
here for the music. So the up. Yeah, I heard
you also do solo bowling dates, going out to the
lanes alone, working on your game. What's your best score?
Speaker 3 (13:14):
I got like almost I think like two hundred ones. Whoa, yeah,
I'm getting up there. I'm trying to get a perfect score.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
My bess is one eighty five, which is pretty good,
but not not two hundred.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
No, that's still good.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
Do you have your own ball?
Speaker 3 (13:30):
I do. My grandma actually passed away and they were
My dad was going through stuff and found the bowling ball.
Her and my grandpa they had bowling balls and I
actually took her bag in the ball that she uses. Ease.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
I love that. So that's great. Are you Are you
right down right down Main Street down the middle or
do you.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Throw a curve herd ball all day?
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I cannot do that? I okay, I'm jealous. I can't
extract this.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
Yeah, you get there.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Yeah, you're a young person to be so comfortable and
happy hanging solo. Has that always been the case or
do you think some of that is to offset the
amount of time you spend in a team situation where
you have to be thinking about the needs of everybody
else out on the field. That's a good question.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
I feel like as time has gone on and I've
matured and gone through certain situations or just life, I've
had to learn to enjoy my own company again. Also,
just being around a lot of people all day, all
the time, every day, sometimes it gets a little overwhelming
(14:37):
or too much, so you need an escape. So I
feel like it's a little bit of mixture of both.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
It sounds like an introvert talking introvert. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
I feel like when I was younger, as an extrovert,
I enjoy people. I feel like I'm a people person.
But I don't know. I feel like I'm becoming a
little bit of both, and I'm enjoying it good.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
I'm what they call an extroverted extrovert. Basically, the more
people I'm around, the more energy I have. Every once
in a while, I have to recharge. But that's great
that you can find a balance in both. You started
playing soccer when you were really young, and then your
family spent three years in England in your sort of
pre teen years. How do you think time in that
(15:18):
sort of soccer crazed country impacted your skill set or
your interest in the game.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
Yeah, I think it grew the love that I have
for the game. Soccer is huge in Europe, but it's
a different there's a difference between soccer and Europe and overseas.
Actually being at some menu games, it showed me how
much fans loved soccer. It was dope. I have an
older brother, so playing with him and his team made
(15:46):
me a lot more competitive. It made me want to win.
It made me learn how much soccer is quicker and
stronger with boys compared to girls or women.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Growing up.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
I feel like it helped me a lot pre pro
or pre team in college life.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Yeah, in your household, is it soccer or football? Soccer? Soccer?
All right? Good?
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Yeah? Back in the States, you had.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
A tremendous amount of success in high school and college
despite three ACL tears before you'd even graduated college. What's
it like doing three rehabs? And how do you stay
positive knowing the second and the third time? Okay, I've
already been through this. I know what I'm about to
have to do. How did you stay positive during that?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
It sucks for sure, But I mean the support system
I had is amazing. My parents, my brother, the coaching
staff of Kadani, and the whole medical staff at USC
was amazing. The first time, it was scary because I've
never ever gotten hurt and for my first injury to
be so major was crazy, especially the time that happened.
(16:54):
I missed out on the World Cup for you some
team so in freshman year. But the first one I
got through, and after that the second one, I was
kind of like, okay, like I've been here before, I
know what's gonna happen. I know how to get through it.
But it was just kind of like Dan, like here
we go again, you know, But also just being surrounded
(17:16):
by amazing people, my teammates. I had a lot of
teammates that I grew up with and played with, so
it was kind of like I had multiple different families
around me at one time. And the third one was
really just unfortunate. It also stuck too, But I feel
like that one taught me the most about myself, how
patient I am, how strong I am, how much I
really do love the game and still want to play.
(17:40):
A lot of people don't know this, but it also
made the decision for me at the time I was
deciding whether I wanted to stay another year or go pro,
and I feel like that ACL kind of showed me, Okay,
stay another year, take more time, and then thrive after.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
It's so hard watching ACL tears across soccer landscape, and
I feel like there's a disconnected part between what science
and medical experts say about some preventative things, like there's
something called the pet method that I've spoken to doctors
saying if every team did this for fifteen minutes before
every practice, it would help. And then the media, which
seems to think that we're sort of stuck in decades
(18:19):
old conversation about how we don't understand why there are
so many injuries. It just keeps happening on a team level,
both in collagen at the pros, Like how much conversation
is there amongst you and your teammates about the prevalence
of ACL injuries and trying to figure out how to
be preventative.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
I mean, it's it's thrown in the air sometimes here
and there, especially when someone does have the injury, then
the conversation is very hot in the moment. But I mean,
I agree, I mean there's a lot of confusion as
to why it's happening, especially in women, it's so common.
I mean, you can tear your aco by doing something
so simple or literally being taken out. So we kind
(18:59):
of wonder, like, is it the way that our bodies
are made genetics, DNA or simply like you're saying, science,
do we need to prent more?
Speaker 1 (19:08):
So?
Speaker 3 (19:09):
I feel like it's up in the air. I mean,
at Spirit we have a great medical staff, but we
should still kind of figure out what's really going.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
On, keep studying. That's where all the money should be
going in the women's studying right now. In terms of
sports science, you play such an audacious game. It's really flashy,
it's really aggressive, it's really beautiful. Have you ever been
advised to tone it down or to play a different style
because of those early injuries? Do they ever just say
play it straight, Kroy, like you're gonna get it done,
(19:38):
just you know, without all the flash.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
Honestly, thankfully, no. I feel like all the coaches I've
had in the past have respected who I am and
how I play, and that's what makes me me. So
they just continue to push me to be me, and
I mean it gets the job done. So if it's
not broke, don't fix serah, that's right.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
That's right. You tore orr meniscus while throwing out the
first pitch at the Nationals game. How's the rehab going?
How is the meniscus injury different at all from your
previous knee injuries.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Yeah, the rehab's going great. About ten weeks. A lot
of even strength now, which is amazing. Just continue working
on strength and mobility. I feel like this one is
a lot easier in the sense of time. I feel
like I'm doing a lot more way earlier than if
I tore my aco ten weeks ago, especially pain and
(20:31):
stress wise, So I feel like that's a positive thing
with this meniscus.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Here, tell us about your dog. I imagine he spends
a lot of time with you during rehab, the big
and the small moments of coming back. What's his name?
Speaker 3 (20:45):
So? I have a dog named Cush. He's an American
Staffordshire and an American Terrier. He has a little bit
of other things mixed with him. But yeah, he's a
nine month paity. He's so cute.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Nine months Okay, So is this your first, like dog
of your own?
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Yes, this is my first dog on my own.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Are you are you like a protective doggy mama, Are
you like the kind? He's dressing him up in Halloween
costumes and he has his own Instagram.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
No, h we're working on the Instagram. I'm a very
affectionate dog mom. He's like very sweet and loves cuddles.
But I also don't like when people like try to
tell me how to be a mom. Fair. Yeah, but
the injury, he's been great. I feel like when I
first came back, he noticed like, oh, something's wrong with mommy,
(21:39):
like let me be gentle. But as time's going on,
he's just been there, supporting lovey, you know, being a
big old baby.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Pities are the best snugglers. My little Pity Banks is
basically a barnacle attached to me at every moment possible.
My dogs do have their own Instagram. I feel like
if Kush got his own Instagram, there'd be a lot
of questions about Push the Pit's name. Can you take
us through that?
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Yeah, I just think I've never met a dog with
that name, so I thought it was pretty cool to do.
And yeah, he's handsome. I mean, when you see him,
it kind of fits him.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Yeah, No, I saw him before the interview started. That
is a handsome pup. That is a handsome pup. Ye, okay,
So you've got the pity to support you. You've got
a great medical staff. Tell me about some of your teammates.
You step onto the scene as this highly tied rookie,
this high draft pick, high expectations. You blow all of
them out of the water. You're winning Rookie of the month,
Rookie of the month, Rookie of the month. How has
(22:35):
it been sort of adjusting to being a professional soccer
player and to being around other teammates who are both
supportive and also you know, trying to get theirs and
have their own success.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
I feel like adjusting has been great. I feel like
I've been prepared for this moment for a couple of
years now, Like I mentioned, staying another year. Also the
coaches and staff. I've been surrounded with college, but a
lot of the rookies are already knew, whether that's national
team camps or how I used to play at Concord
with or playing against teammates like Heather and Courtney at Utah.
(23:10):
So we're not new to each other, which is great.
And also since there's a lot of us, it's kind
of like we have our own little rookie families. So
we've been getting through the rookie year with each other,
which has been amazing. I just like how welcoming everyone is.
It just feels really comfortable and no one being judgy
(23:30):
or jealous or any of that. So I feel like
this class has honestly been amazing and always.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
This is going to be a tough season to top,
even with the jury, Like, other than staying healthy, of course,
we're going to want that, but I trust you also
have some other big plans for next year. Do you
have any goals you want to share?
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Of course, health of course, And then I'll just say,
topping what I did this year, I just want to
continue to build off of each layer.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
Yeah, what's your status for when you actually can hopefully
start just getting back to full speed practices and everything else,
hopefully before preseason.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
I mean, I feel like God had another injury in
my plan in my journey, and since he did, I
feel like the timing was kind of perfect. I have preseason,
which gives me a little bit of extra time to
get ready for season, so I feel like I'll be ready.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Before Okay, before I let you go, we need to
do a speed round the all time soccer player men's
or women's that you most admire.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Women's we have Marta Tobin of course, and I'll say
Megan in there as well.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Nice top three nice.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
And then men's messy Ronaldinho honestly, all the Brazilian and
Ronaldo Valdo.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
All those yep, current player in the NWSL that you
look to you and you aspire to be.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Like a great question. Honestly, I'd have to go back
to now. I just have so much respect for her
and just thinking about like back in the day there
was a lot of comparison to us, and I definitely
see it. So I have a lot of respect for
as a person and a player.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
NWSL player from another team you'd most want to play with.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
I wanted to play with Ashley Sanchez such to say, but.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Yeah, NWSL player from another team you hate to play.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Against either, so Smith or Nay.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
I was gonna say, Naomy Germa is a good answer
for anyone who just is like she makes it so
tough back there.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
Yeah, yeah, Nay and I have gone to a bunch
of camps together. But also just playing against her at
Stanford each year, it was like she's like that is
really good.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Okay. Owner of the Spirit, Michelle Kang is known for
her over the top fits. Do you have a favorite
Michelle Kang fit?
Speaker 3 (26:10):
I do. I can't remember exactly what, but I know
she had on this like either white or cream dress
and some like really high heels and I was like, Michelle,
you look great.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Probably had a cape too. She's got a lot of kiss.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Yeah, she does. For her to like walk on the
field with the grass and just look unfazed. It's really,
it's unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
She really, yes, how do you do it? She has
a very intimidating energy. It's like a little bit of
like Big Dick energy times like Devil Wears Prada and
a wind Tour energy.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
Okay, yeah, it's kind of.
Speaker 1 (26:44):
Terrifying to be honest, at least for me. Croy. We've
had so much fun talking to you. You are such
a professional already at just twenty three years old, both
in the way you carry yourself and in your game,
and we are dying to see how high that ceiling
is for you. Because this season was so much fun,
We're thinking about your health and we're so excited for
(27:05):
when you're back. Thanks so much for giving us some time.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Thank you, thank you for having me. You're amazing a
lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Thanks again De Croix for the time, and congrats on
all the success. Can't wait to see you back out
on the pitch. We gotta pay the bills. BRB, You're back,
so are we, So slices. I booked a few days
of VAK with the hubby in Spain over the weekend
(27:33):
before work started. And whenever we travel to a new
country together, we buy a Christmas ornament to add to
our tree. So every year when we decorate, we get
to remember all the places that we've been together. It's
my favorite tradition. So I'm wondering for our good gameplay
of the day. Do you collect anything when you travel? Magnets, keychains, bowls.
We would love to see the fruits of your travels,
(27:53):
so send us a pick, tell us about it. Our
email is good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or leave
us a voicemail eight seven two two four fifty seventy
and you know it's coming. Don't forget to subscribe, rate
and review. It's easy. Watch when you're the perfect amount
of tipsy to crush at the bowling lanes. Rating ten
out of ten strikes review. You're not sobern off to
(28:14):
stress about it, but you're not so drunk that your
aim is off. You're right in the middle, just like
the balls you're tossing right down Main Street, hitting the
pocket between the one and the three pins. Turkey time, baby,
Now it's your turn. Rate and review. Thanks for listening,
See you tomorrow. Good game, Croy, Good Game, Cush Few
pitching mounds. Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart
(28:37):
women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network,
our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive
producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder.
Our editors are Emily Rudder, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and
(28:57):
Lindsay Cradowell. Production assistant from lie See Jones and I'm
your host Sarah Spain
Host
Sarah Spain
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