Mallory’s parents are Karen and Horace Pugh, and she has a sister named Brianna who is older. Mal’s mother and father were both former track athletes.

Her father supported his daughters’ participation in sports and used to play football himself. Mallory was raised in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and attended Mountain Vista High School there from 2012 to 2016.

In her three seasons with the team, Ms. Pugh recorded 47 goals and 23 assists. She was scheduled to enroll in UCLA’s collegiate program but chose to become a professional.

Mallory Diane Swanson is an American soccer player who plays as a forward for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the highest division of women’s professional soccer in the United States, and the United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT).

She holds the record for the most assists ever given by a USWNT player before turning 20. In January 2016, at the age of 17, she became the youngest player in USWNT history to be chosen and compete in an Olympic qualification tournament.

Swanson revealed on April 17, 2017, that after one-quarter of her collegiate career with UCLA, she would leave and pursue a career in acting. She subsequently signed with the Washington Spirit in May 2017 and played there for three seasons before moving on to Sky Blue FC and the Chicago Red Stars, where she is presently playing.