The Chicago Red Stars and defender Tatumn Milazzo have agreed to terms on a contract extension that will see the Chicagoland native remain with the Red Stars through the 2024 season in a two-year contract with a one-year option.
“I’m so excited to be extending my contract with Chicago. To play for my hometown, in front of my friends and family, has always been a dream,” said Milazzo. “I love this city and I’m so hopeful for the future of this organization. I’m ready to do whatever it takes to bring this club to its full potential. The players, fans and all the little kids watching deserve that.”
“This past season Tatumn showed that she has the ability to be one of the premier defenders in our league,” said Associate General Manager, Michelle Lomnicki. “She did the work to develop her game and as we move forward, I'm confident she will continue to grow as a player and as a leader for this team.”
2022 was a breakout season for the second-year defender. In June Milazzo was named to her first National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Best XI of the month team after successfully contesting more than half of her duels, aerial duels and tackles, and registered a reliable 83 percent passing accuracy, helping the Red Stars go undefeated that month.
Milazzo’s consistency carried her throughout the season as she played in every Challenge Cup, regular season and playoff match for the Red Stars this year. Adding two goals and an assist to her impressive defensive stats where she led all defenders in clearances (103) and interceptions (58), while also accumulating a 66.7 percent successful tackle percentage, helped propel Milazzo into the NWSL’s Best XI Second Team. This was Milazzo’s first inclusion in one of the league’s season Best XI teams.
Hailing from Orland Park, Illinois, Milazzo played college soccer for the University of South Carolina. As a Gamecock, she was named to the All-SEC Second Team (2017), United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region Third Team (2018) and the SEC Watch List (2019).