Mikayla Cluff Bio
Mikayla Shae Cluff (née Colohan; born February 25, 1999) is a former American professional soccer player who competed as a midfielder in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). A one-time No. 14 overall selection in the 2021 NWSL Draft by the Orlando Pride, Cluff spent four seasons in the league, also representing the Utah Royals and Seattle Reign FC. She played college soccer for the Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougars and departed as one of the most decorated players in program history.
Early Life and Background
Mikayla Shae Cluff was born on February 25, 1999, in Kaysville, Utah, where she grew up in a supportive family environment that encouraged athletics from a young age. She attended Davis High School, where she played four seasons of soccer and set a new Utah high school assists record on two occasions. During her high school years, her teams captured three consecutive state championships, and Cluff was named to the All-State first team each season from 2014 to 2016.
Outside of high school competition, Cluff played club soccer for La Roca Futbol Club for seven years, an experience that helped shape her technical foundation and tactical awareness. In 2015, she captained the Olympic Development Program Region IV team, further confirming her status as one of the top youth players in the region. Cluff also grew up playing basketball and has admitted that, while she was arguably better at the sport, she felt that soccer offered a greater long-term challenge.
Path to Soccer
Cluff’s pathway to professional soccer began in earnest during her standout years at La Roca Futbol Club and with the Olympic Development Program. Her play at the youth level drew the attention of college recruiters, and she ultimately chose to continue her development at Brigham Young University, where the women’s soccer program had a strong tradition of competing for conference titles and national recognition.
At BYU, Cluff quickly transitioned from promising recruit to foundational player for the Cougars. She appeared in her first collegiate match as a freshman, registering an assist against Penn State, and was named to the All-West Coast Conference Freshman Team after finishing her opening year with three goals and five assists in 11 appearances. That early success set the stage for what would become a historic college career.
Mikayla Cluff Career
Early Career (2019)
During the 2019 college offseason, Cluff joined Utah Royals FC Reserves for their inaugural Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) campaign. The Reserves topped the Central Region Conference and advanced to the postseason, where Cluff delivered two goals in a 2-1 semifinal victory over Fortuna Tulsa. She added another goal in the championship match, although Utah fell 4-3 to Pensacola FC.
In total, Cluff recorded eight goals across 12 appearances for the Reserves, providing a strong bridge between her college form and her eventual entry into the top tier of American women’s soccer.
College Career Breakthrough (2017-2021)
Cluff played five seasons of college soccer at Brigham Young University between 2017 and 2021, while also earning a degree in exercise and wellness. As a sophomore she started all 19 games, scored five goals and led the team with seven assists, helping BYU claim the West Coast Conference regular season title. That year she earned All-WCC first team, All-West Region first team and United Soccer Coaches All-America second team honors.
In 2019, Cluff started every match and tallied 16 goals with seven assists as BYU defended its conference crown and reached the NCAA Elite Eight for only the third time in program history. She was named the 2019 WCC Player of the Year, ranked fifth nationally in the TopDrawerSoccer Top 100 and earned her first United Soccer Coaches All-America first team selection.
Cluff elected to delay her professional career and return for the delayed 2020-21 season, taking advantage of an NCAA waiver related to the COVID-19 pandemic that allowed drafted players to retain college eligibility. She started all 16 games, scored 11 goals, and tied the program record with a nine-game scoring streak. She earned All-WCC first team honors for the third time and her second United Soccer Coaches All-America first team selection.
Returning for a fifth and final season in the fall of 2021, Cluff started every BYU match and posted career highs of 18 goals and 15 assists as the Cougars won the WCC title and reached the National Championship game for the first time in program history. The final ended 0-0 and went to penalties; Cluff converted BYU’s opening kick, but Florida State won 4-3. Individually, she earned All-WCC first team honors for a fourth consecutive year, a third United Soccer Coaches All-America first team nod, and WCC Offensive Player of the Year honors, matching Christine Sinclair and Mandy Clemens as a three-time WCC Player of the Year. She was a MAC Hermann Trophy finalist and the TopDrawerSoccer National Player of the Year, finishing her college career as the second-highest goalscorer in BYU women’s soccer history with 53 goals.
Orlando Pride Era (2022-2023)
On January 13, 2021, Cluff was selected in the second round (14th overall) of the 2021 NWSL Draft by the Orlando Pride. She signed a two-year contract with Orlando on January 26, 2022, and made her professional debut on March 19, 2022, starting the season opener against Washington Spirit in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. On May 18, 2022, she scored her first NWSL goal against the North Carolina Courage.
Across her two seasons with Orlando, Cluff established herself as a versatile and dependable midfielder capable of contributing both in possession and in the final third. Her performances in central midfield helped the Pride remain competitive in the NWSL standings.
Utah Royals Era (2024-2025)
On November 15, 2023, Orlando traded Cluff to the Utah Royals along with the No. 26 overall selection in the 2024 NWSL Draft in exchange for expansion draft protection and $90,000 in allocation money. The move returned Cluff to a Utah-based club and gave her an opportunity to take on an expanded leadership role.
Cluff parted ways with the Royals on September 6, 2025, agreeing on a mutual contract termination with the club.
Seattle Reign Era (2025)
Cluff joined Seattle Reign FC through the end of 2025 on the same day she departed Utah. She did not make an appearance for the Reign before her contract expired at the end of the season.
Playing Style and Strengths
Cluff is widely regarded as a technically gifted central midfielder whose strengths include passing vision, two-way work rate and the ability to contribute goals from midfield. Her time at BYU showcased her capacity to dictate tempo while also arriving late into the penalty area, and she finished her college career among the program’s all-time leaders in goals and assists.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the defining moments of Cluff’s career was her role in leading BYU to the 2021 NCAA National Championship game, the first in program history, where she scored in the penalty shootout. She also became a three-time WCC Player of the Year and a MAC Hermann Trophy finalist, and she was selected 14th overall in the 2021 NWSL Draft by Orlando.
Mikayla Cluff Career Wins
Cluff compiled a decorated list of team and individual honors across her collegiate and professional career. At the club level, she contributed to Utah Royals FC Reserves’ WPSL playoff run in 2019 and was part of multiple playoff-contending squads in the NWSL.
BYU Cougars Highlights
Cluff helped BYU capture multiple West Coast Conference regular season titles, reach the NCAA Elite Eight in 2019 and advance to the program’s first national championship game in 2021. She finished her college career with 53 goals, the second-highest total in BYU women’s soccer history.
Other Wins and Performances
In her one WPSL season with Utah Royals FC Reserves, Cluff scored eight goals in 12 appearances and played a central role in the team’s run to the league championship game. On the international stage, she was named to a United States under-17 training camp in 2016 and to a United States under-23 training camp in January 2022.
Mikayla Cluff Family
Family Background and Soccer Lineage
Cluff is the cousin of former United States youth international and BYU Cougars soccer player Cloee Colohan. Like Mikayla, Colohan was drafted into the NWSL, going 14th overall in 2014, making the cousins a notable pairing in the league’s history.
Personal Life
On January 7, 2022, Cluff married professional baseball player Jackson Cluff in a ceremony at the Draper Utah Temple. The couple met while both were studying at Brigham Young University.
2025 Season Performance
Cluff began 2025 with the Utah Royals after being traded there from Orlando at the end of 2023. She contributed as a central midfielder during the early portion of the campaign before the club and player agreed to a mutual contract termination on September 6, 2025.
Shortly after her exit from Utah, Cluff signed with Seattle Reign FC for the remainder of the 2025 season, though she did not make an appearance for the club before her contract expired at year’s end.
On January 25, 2026, Cluff announced her retirement from professional soccer after four years in the NWSL, closing a career that spanned BYU, Orlando, Utah and Seattle.
