Tatumn Milazzo Bio
Tatumn Marie Milazzo (born April 17, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for the Utah Royals of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). A native of the Chicago suburbs, she began her career in youth soccer before starring at the University of South Carolina and going on to feature for the Chicago Red Stars and the Utah Royals at the professional level. Standing at 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), Milazzo has built a reputation as a dependable defender with an eye for timely contributions on both sides of the ball.
Early Life and Background
Tatumn Marie Milazzo was born on April 17, 1998, in Orland Park, Illinois, in the United States. She grew up in the Chicago metropolitan area and attended Victor J. Andrew High School, where she developed as a young athlete. Her time in the Chicagoland area introduced her to competitive youth soccer and laid the foundation for the career that followed.
Milazzo played her youth club soccer for Chicago Eclipse Select, one of the prominent development clubs in the region. She trained under Rory Dames, who would later become the head coach of the Chicago Red Stars. With the Eclipse, she helped the team win the 2013 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship, along with the Illinois State Cup in 2012, 2013, and 2014, giving her early experience on big stages and contributing to a strong technical base as a defender.
Path to Soccer
Milazzo’s youth success with Chicago Eclipse Select quickly drew college attention, and she committed to the University of South Carolina, where she joined the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s soccer program in 2016. Over four seasons with the Gamecocks, she became a mainstay in the back line, appearing in 80 matches and scoring 3 goals between 2016 and 2019.
During her college career, Milazzo was part of Gamecocks sides that won three Southeastern Conference titles in 2016, 2017, and 2019. In 2017, she helped South Carolina qualify for its first Women’s College Cup, where the team fell in the semi-finals to Stanford. Near the end of her senior year, Milazzo tore her anterior cruciate ligament, but she elected to continue playing, a decision that underscored her commitment to the sport and shaped her transition into the professional ranks.
Tatumn Milazzo Career
Early Career (2021)
Milazzo entered the professional ranks with her hometown NWSL club, joining the Chicago Red Stars in 2021. On February 1, 2021, she was announced as part of the club’s pre-season squad, and on April 5, 2021, she signed with the Red Stars as a supplemental roster player. She made her professional debut on April 9, 2021, against the Houston Dash in the NWSL Challenge Cup, entering as an 87th-minute substitute in a 0–0 draw.
In her rookie season, Milazzo featured in 14 appearances and logged 936 minutes for the Red Stars. She scored her first professional goal on October 10, 2021, finding the net from outside the box in a 3–2 loss to OL Reign. She also appeared in the NWSL Championship game that year, capping a strong debut campaign in Chicago.
NWSL Breakthrough (2022–2023)
Milazzo broke out as a starter during the 2022 NWSL season, starring in 23 games and scoring 2 goals, including strikes against NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Kansas City Current. In June 2022, she was named to the NWSL June Best XI of the Month, and she started in the Red Stars’ playoff match, a 2–1 extra-time defeat to San Diego Wave FC. Her overall performance earned her a place on the NWSL Best XI Second Team, and she extended her contract with the Red Stars through the 2024 season, with an additional one-year option in the deal.
In 2023, Milazzo played 21 games and tallied 1 goal, scored in a 1–1 draw with the North Carolina Courage on August 27, 2023. She continued to be a regular presence in Chicago’s defense, building on the momentum of her Best XI recognition and establishing herself as one of the league’s dependable young defenders.
Chicago Red Stars, 2024
Milazzo opened the 2024 NWSL season in standout fashion, recording goal-line clearances in two consecutive matches. Both clearances earned NWSL Save of the Week honors, making her only the second NWSL field player ever to win the award in back-to-back weeks. Her defensive work underscored her value to the Red Stars’ back line and helped solidify her reputation for clutch defending.
Utah Royals Era (2025–Present)
On January 13, 2025, the Utah Royals announced the signing of Milazzo on a two-year contract running through the 2026 NWSL season. The move marked a fresh chapter in her career as she joined a retooled Royals squad aiming to climb the NWSL standings. She was assigned the number 2 jersey and slotted into a defensive role for the club.
Tragically, Milazzo tore her ACL during training in late March 2025 and missed the entire 2025 NWSL season while recovering. After completing her rehabilitation, she made a goalscoring debut for the Royals, starting and heading home a goal in a season-opening 2–1 loss to the Kansas City Current on March 14, 2026. The return was a strong statement of resilience and signaled her readiness to contribute in Utah.
Driving Style and Strengths
Milazzo is recognized for her composure in the back line, intelligent positioning, and willingness to put her body on the line, as shown by her consecutive goal-line clearances in 2024. Her combination of aerial ability, distribution, and tactical awareness makes her effective in both build-up play and last-ditch defending, and her performances at college and professional levels reflect a defender comfortable operating in high-pressure moments.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among her career highlights, Milazzo won the 2013 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship with Chicago Eclipse Select, helped South Carolina reach its first Women’s College Cup in 2017, earned NWSL Best XI Second Team honors in 2022, became only the second field player to win NWSL Save of the Week in back-to-back weeks in 2024, and scored a header on her Utah Royals debut on March 14, 2026. Her return from an ACL tear within the same season underscored the determination that has marked her career.
Tatumn Milazzo Career Wins
While Milazzo’s profile is built primarily on defensive reliability rather than goal-scoring tallies, her career features a series of notable team and individual wins. She lifted the 2013 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship with Chicago Eclipse Select, captured three Southeastern Conference titles with South Carolina between 2016 and 2019, and reached the NWSL Championship game as a rookie with the Chicago Red Stars in 2021.
NWSL Highlights
Milazzo’s first NWSL goal came on October 10, 2021, against OL Reign, and she has since added goals against NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Kansas City Current, and the North Carolina Courage, with her most recent verified strike coming on debut for the Utah Royals on March 14, 2026. Her 2022 NWSL Best XI Second Team selection and her back-to-back NWSL Save of the Week awards in 2024 stand out as her clearest individual milestones in the league.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the NWSL, Milazzo helped the South Carolina Gamecocks qualify for the 2017 Women’s College Cup and won the Illinois State Cup in 2012, 2013, and 2014 with Chicago Eclipse Select. These earlier titles helped lay the groundwork for her professional career and remain cornerstones of her playing resume.
Tatumn Milazzo Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Details about Tatumn Marie Milazzo’s immediate family are not widely documented in available sources. She grew up in Orland Park, Illinois, and developed her soccer career in the Chicago area, where the regional soccer community, including Chicago Eclipse Select and the Chicago Red Stars organization, played a major role in her development.
Personal Life
Milazzo’s personal life is kept largely private, and no confirmed public details about a spouse or children are available. Her focus, based on publicly available information, has remained on her professional soccer career, including her recovery from an ACL injury and her continued role with the Utah Royals.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NWSL season was a difficult chapter for Milazzo, as she signed a two-year contract with the Utah Royals on January 13, 2025, but tore her ACL in late March during training, which forced her to miss the entire campaign. Her absence was a significant setback for a defender who had just completed consecutive standout seasons with the Chicago Red Stars, including back-to-back NWSL Save of the Week honors in 2024.
Throughout her rehabilitation, Milazzo remained connected to the Royals organization, and the club continued to build its defensive structure around her expected return. The two-year contract she signed in 2025 ensured that she would have an opportunity to contribute in the following season, while the club supported her recovery process.
Looking ahead, Milazzo’s outlook is encouraging after her goalscoring debut for the Royals on March 14, 2026, in a 2–1 loss to the Kansas City Current. With her contract running through the 2026 season, she is positioned to be a central figure in Utah’s defense as the club continues its rebuild in the NWSL, and her return to form could mark a defining stretch in her professional career.