Overview
- Hershfelt tore her right ACL during Washington’s 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Current and the Spirit announced on Oct. 29 that she has been placed on the NWSL Season-Ending Injury List.
- The club said Hershfelt will undergo surgery to repair the ACL and will rehabi with the Spirit’s medical and performance staff, a process that typically takes more than six months.
- Hershfelt made 31 appearances across all competitions in 2026 and has been a regular starter for Washington since 2024, with 66 starts in 72 regular-season games for the club.
- Her absence forces roster and midfield-availability decisions as the Spirit finish the regular season at home against Chicago and enter the playoffs beginning Nov. 6.
- Hershfelt is a 2024 draftee from Clemson who earned NWSL Second Best XI honors, helped Washington win the 2025 Challenge Cup, and has five U.S. national team caps, so her recovery will shape both her club role and near-term national-team prospects.