Pepperdine standout enters late in season opener, chases full-time contract after strong preseason showing
Tatum Wynalda didn’t know if she’d see the field in the San Diego Wave FC’s season opener March 14. Then late in the match, she heard head coach Jonas Eidevall call her name — and her professional career began.
The 21-year-old entered in the 87th minute, replacing defender Perle Morroini.
“They were like, ‘Alright. Let’s go,’” Wynalda recalled. “It all happened so fast, which I think was a blessing in disguise because it gave me no time to think about it. It was such a surreal moment that became very real.”
She had 12-14 touches in limited minutes, including stoppage time, in San Diego’s 1-0 home loss to the Houston Dash at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, both teams’ first matches of the National Women’s Soccer League season.
Wynalda didn’t play in the Wave’s 2-1 win over the Utah Royals in Salt Lake City on March 22.
Wynalda said the beginning of her professional career was amazing.
“It is a dream come true,” she said.
The midfielder signed a short-term injury replacement contract with San Diego through next month. She hopes to earn a full-time contract.
“I want to be a really positive influence and contributor to the team,” Wynalda explained. “I want to be someone everyone wants to be around in the locker room. I want to continue growing and developing to be the best player and person I can be.”
Her signing with San Diego follows her Pepperdine soccer career in which she booted 23 goals and had 17 assists from the 2022 to 2025 seasons. She earned All-West Coast Conference honors all four seasons, including first-team recognition as a senior.
In a news release this month, Pepperdine head coach Tim Ward called Wynalda, who is also his niece, a special player equipped with match-winning qualities.
“Her soccer IQ and athletic attributes allow her to play in so many places on the field, and yet it is her ability around the goal that separates from most,” he said. “She has a fire for the game and the pursuit of excellence that is uncommon.”
Wynalda, set to graduate from Pepperdine in May, believes her soccer IQ is her strongest asset.
“That is something that translates really well to the professional game,” she said. “I see the game in a way a lot of people don’t. I’m surrounded by players who are the best in the world. My game is only going to be elevated.”
Wynalda joined the Wave for a month-long trial in January.
She said the team’s players and coaches were very welcoming and that she excelled once she adapted to the speed of the professional game. Wynalda scored three goals in four preseason matches including the game-winner in the Wave’s victory over the Seattle Reign.
“I was doing really well with the minutes I was given,” Wynalda said.
Despite her strong preseason performances, Wynalda said the mental side of the trial was challenging. She was giving her all on the field, but was unsure of where she stood with San Diego’s coaches at times.
“The mental part was pretty taxing,” she admitted. “That is one thing I struggled with a bit. Playing better and better eased that anxiety.”
Conversations with her mother and sister, along with journaling, helped ease that anxiety.
“My family has been an amazing system,” Wynalda noted. “They have been a great resource and outlet for me.”
Her father, U.S. soccer legend Eric Wynalda, wants his daughter to have fun as a pro, she said.
“He has taken the dad role instead of the coach role,” Wynalda said. “He understands this is my journey. I’m going to face comparison, but he just wants me to do my best. He wants me to enjoy this whole process.”
Around 20 of Wynalda’s friends and family members were in the stands, cheering for her during the match against Houston.
She called the atmosphere electric, despite expecting it to feel overwhelming.
“Once you get on the field it is you and your teammates, and it’s just like you are playing the game as a kid,” Wynalda added. “Once I stepped out there, I felt super in my element. On the big stage, it is like playing with your friends, but there is a bit more to it. It was a dream.”
The first time Wynalda touched the ball was to throw it into play.
“Once I connected my first pass and got into the rhythm of the game, I felt very comfortable, very at ease,” she said.
She even sent a curling trivela pass — kicking the ball with the outside of her right foot — that barely missed connecting with Gia Coreley inside the box.
“It got some ohhs and ahhs from the crowd,” Wynalda noted. “It was really fun.”
Wynalda, normally an attacker looking to pass and score, was instead positioned at left back for the Wave. On game restarts, she was the team’s last defender, able to survey the field.
“There were a few moments of stoppage where I really soaked everything in,” she explained. “Taking those moments to breathe it all in was really special.”
Wynalda had never played outside back until preseason training, but is confident in her skills.
“Regardless of where I am put on the field, I’ll give my best effort,” she explained. “I’m proud of my work ethic. I have always considered myself a hard worker and someone who is ferocious in nature, but seeing my coaches and teammates feel the same way about me is really validating.”
The Wave hosted the Portland Thorns on Wednesday and will host the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday.
Wynalda hopes to play in one of San Diego’s matches against Angel City FC, Los Angeles’ team, this season because she has friends on the team.
Wynalda is one of the several former Pepperdine players now playing professional soccer around the world. Ward said he and Pepperdine’s staff are proud of Wynalda and excited to see how she will excel.
“Most importantly, she truly is an amazing young woman of character and passion,” he added.
Wynalda said the attention to detail Pepperdine’s coaches emphasized has paid off with the Wave.
“My coaches have taken notice of my attention to detail,” Wynalda explained, “and that I demand excellence from myself — not taking the easy way out, not cutting corners.”
She wants to score a long-term contract with San Diego.
“Then we can continue building from there,” Wynalda said. “Hopefully, I’ll get my first NWSL goal and assist, maybe play a half, and I can keep going. My top priority is making sure that contract gets extended to full-time.”
