Tappan grew up in Newcastle, Washington, as one of two children born to Dave and Lori Tappan.[2] She began playing soccer at age of 5 and joined club team Pacific Northwest SC.[3] She attended Liberty High School, where she played three years of basketball in addition to soccer.[2] With the soccer team, she played as a center back and helped Liberty win two consecutive state championships.[4] In the 2017 final, Tappan was responsible for two of the team's three assists in their 3–0 victory over Columbia River.[5]
College career
At the age of 15, Tappan committed to Washington State University. In her freshman season with the Cougars, she played in all 21 matches, starting all but 4.[4] She worked together with the Washington State backline to form a defense that was second in the Pac-12 Conference in terms of goals allowed.[2] The following season, she kicked off the year with her first collegiate assist, a throw-in to Margie Detrizio in the season opener.[6] In both her sophomore and junior seasons, she started all 19 games of the campaign.[2] She also led the team in minutes as a junior.[2][7]
Tappan capped off her college career with a senior season that earned her a spot on the All-WCC First Team after playing every single minute of the year.[8] On October 19, 2024, she conceded a penalty kick in an eventual 4–3 loss to Gonzaga after committing a handball inside the box. However, just 15 minutes later, she atoned for her error by scoring a penalty kick of her own, which was also her first college goal.[9] She ended up making a total of 78 appearances for the Washington State, starring in every match available to the Cougars.[2] Tappan was also a 2024 WCC All-Academic Honorable mention and a one-year team captain.[10]
Club career
After leaving college, Tappan spent two weeks as a trialist with Spokane Zephyr FC[8] before signing a contract with the club on February 22, 2025.[10][11] She made her professional debut on March 15, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 3–2 win over DC Power FC.[12] On April 3, she recorded her first start with Spokane, playing 90 minutes in a victory over Brooklyn FC.[2] Tappan made 6 appearances in her rookie season as Spokane finished 5th in the USL Super League standings, one spot shy from the playoffs.[13]
Tappan kicked off her second professional season on a positive note, receiving recognition on the October 2025 USL Super League Team of the Month after leading the league in passes and having the second-highest number of clearances that month.[14] On March 14, 2026, she scored her first professional goal,[13] a header to open the scoring in a 3–0 victory over Brooklyn.[15]
