Taylor Chism

Taylor Chism
Chism with the North Carolina Courage U23 in 2024
Personal information
Full name Taylor Marie Chism[1]
Date of birth (2003-10-26) October 26, 2003
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position Defender
Team information
Current team
 Tampa Bay Sun
Number 26
Youth career
Wilmington Hammerheads
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2024 NC State Wolfpack 47 (3)
2025 Auburn Tigers 18 (2)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023–2024 North Carolina Courage U23 29 (3)
2026– Tampa Bay Sun 3 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20:52, February 22, 2026 (UTC)

Taylor Marie Chism (born October 26, 2003) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for USL Super League club Tampa Bay Sun FC. She played college soccer for the NC State Wolfpack and the Auburn Tigers.

Early life

Chism grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, as one of three children born to Marie Riley and Heath Chism.[2] She played youth soccer for local club Wilmington Hammerheads.[3] Chism attended Emsley A. Laney High School, where she was a two-time all-state and all-region honoree with the school's soccer team. She was Laney's top scorer in 2022 and ended her high school career with 50 total goals.[2][4]

A two-sport athlete, Chism also played basketball in high school.[5] In her freshman year, her defensive skills earned her a starting spot on Laney's varsity team.[4] Her offensive presence also steadily rose over the next few seasons,[6] and she became the team's leading scorer as a junior.[7] Chism has credited her soccer experience as a key factor in her ability to read the game and apply effective defense in basketball.[7]

College career

Chism elected to focus fully on soccer after finishing high school.[4] She joined the NC State Wolfpack in 2022 and made an immediate impact in her collegiate debut, scoring in a 4–0 victory over Rhode Island to help NC State kick off the season on a positive note.[8] She went on to make 14 appearances as a freshman, including 3 starts. On November 13, 2022, she played a season-high 110 minutes in NC State's NCAA tournament first round defeat to Vanderbilt.[3] As a sophomore, Chism became a regular starter. She played 11 complete 90-minute games and helped contribute to three clean sheets. Chism's junior year with the Wolfpack would prove to be her last; she started in all 18 of her appearances and played at least 70 minutes in each game.[2]

In December 2024, Chism transferred from NC State to Auburn University.[9] She, along with three other Auburn teammates, was named to the SEC preseason watchlist in August 2025.[10] In her lone season with the Tigers, Chism was named team captain, started all 18 of Auburn's matches, contributed to 6 clean sheets, and was named the program's Iron Woman of the season. She was also an offensive threat, recording 24 shots, 2 goals, and 2 assists as a set-piece target.[2]

Club career

In the summers before her sophomore and junior years at NC State, Chism joined pre-professional USL W League team North Carolina Courage U23. In 2023, she came on as a substitute in the league's championship match and registered a shot off the post as North Carolina lost to Indy Eleven, 2–1.[11] The following year, Chism ended up contributing to the Courage's first-ever USL W League title, playing all 90 minutes of North Carolina's championship win over the Colorado Storm.[12] She was named to the all-league first-team after racking up over 1000 minutes of play and scoring 3 goals.[13]

On January 29, 2026, USL Super League club Tampa Bay Sun FC announced that they had signed Chism to her first professional contract.[14][12] Chism made her pro debut two days later,[15] playing the entirety of a 2–2 draw with Spokane Zephyr FC to open the second half of Tampa Bay's season.[16]

References

  1. ^ "NC State University Spring 2025 Commencement Program". North Carolina State University. p. 88. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d "Taylor Chism". Auburn Tigers. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Taylor Chism". NC State Wolfpack. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  4. ^ a b c Duprez, Mike (April 27, 2022). "Laney's Taylor Chism will cut sports career in half this fall at N.C. State". Wilmington Star-News. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  5. ^ Smist, John (March 7, 2019). "Laney's Taylor Chism named WECT Athlete of the Week". WECT. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  6. ^ Fuller, Jackson (November 9, 2021). "Girls Basketball Preview: 29 Wilmington-area players to watch this winter". Wilmington Star-News. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  7. ^ a b Fuller, Jackson. "Thievery! Laney's Taylor Chism racking up the steals in breakout season". Wilmington Star-News. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  8. ^ "Dominant First Half Powers Wolfpack to 4-0 Victory Over Rhode Island". NC State Wolfpack. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  9. ^ "Armstrong adds Taylor Chism from transfer portal". Auburn Tigers. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  10. ^ "SEC Soccer Preseason Watch List revealed, featuring 100 total players". SoccerWire. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  11. ^ "Indy Eleven claims 2023 W League title in extra time against NC Courage U23". USL W League. July 22, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  12. ^ a b "Tampa Bay Sun FC Signs Defender Taylor Chism". Tampa Bay Sun FC. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  13. ^ "USL W League announces 2025 All-League Teams". USL W League. July 31, 2025. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  14. ^ "Taylor Chism signs professional contract with Tampa Bay Sun". BVM Sports. January 29, 2026. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  15. ^ @tampabaysunfc; (February 2, 2026). "Three debuts. One badge. ☀️". Retrieved February 13, 2026 – via Instagram.
  16. ^ "Match Center - Tampa Bay Sun FC vs Spokane Zephyr FC - 01/31/2026". Gainbridge Super League. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
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