Bethi's debut was just two weeks after she joined the Spirit, and she has already shown why the club's investment in African talent is paying off. The Spirit lead the NWSL in having the highest contingent of African players in the league, with seven internationals contracted to the club. This includes Ivory Coast forward Rosemonde Kouassi, Nigerians Gift Monday and Deborah Abiodun, and the recent additions Ngock, Bethi and Burkina Faso defender Alimata Bélem.
Washington's core African Spirit has been a key factor in the team's success, with players like Kouassi and Monday providing attacking depth and production. The Spirit's coach, Adrian Gonzalez, insists that the scouting is led by a talent-first policy, rather than an Africa-specific recruitment policy. However, the concentration of African players is becoming difficult to overlook, with six Spirit players representing their countries at the recent WAFCON.
The Spirit's African presence is bigger than it has ever been, and the team's success is a testament to the club's ability to attract and develop top talent from around the world. As captain Andi Sullivan joked, the Spirit could now be called the NWSL's "FC Africa."