Just earning a spot on team was an Olympian feat. In 1996, Olympic rosters featured just 16 players – and only 14 field players -- and given the talent on a team that captured the first Women’s World Cup in 1991, accompanied by a Third-Place finish at the 1995 Women’s World Cup, it was difficult group to break into for any newcomer.
MacMillan's first USWNT camp was in 1993 and her first appearance came a year later, but she was not named to Olympic residency camp to prepare for the Atlanta Games.
"I was completely devastated," said MacMillan, who returned to the University of Portland, where was a four-time All-American and winner of the Missouri Athletic Club Award and Hermann Trophy playing for legendary coach Clive Charles.
She sat down to talk with Charles, who had a massive influence on the then 21-year-old’s career. Besides a distinguished career coaching the Portland men and women, Charles guided the U.S. Men’s National Team to a stunning fourth-place finish, their best, at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
"I was bawling my eyes out, I was devastated," MacMillan said. "He let me have a little bit of a pity party in his office. He gave me 24 hours to mope and feel sorry about myself. Then he said, 'I'll see you on the field tomorrow and I'm going to kick your butt.' He knew I needed that as a human to process everything I was going through. He said, 'Look you're going to have an opportunity. The difference is whether you're going to be ready for that opportunity or you're still going to be feeling sorry for yourself.' That still resonates with me in everything, beyond soccer."
Because many players didn’t initially attend camp due to a labor dispute, MacMillan was offered an opportunity and received the blessing of captain Julie Foudy.
“I was very grateful that Julie and everyone else realized it was an opportunity for me and encouraged me to take it," said MacMillan, who then started playing more in the midfield.
"If I hadn't been cut a couple of months prior, I might not have been as willing or able to have the mindset to say yes, I will do whatever it takes to make this team. I wasn't about drama or anything. I wanted to be a part of that team. I wanted to do whatever it took; accept whatever role it was. I really prided myself on any frustrations or feelings that I was dealing with, I never let it become a team issue. I always kept it internal and handled it on my own. I had so much respect for that group and what it stood for."
Besides, MacMillan knew her teammates always had her back.
"It definitely helped me coming from a forward to a midfield to have the likes of Joy Fawcett behind me," she said. "Probably the best right defender ever behind me to clean up my mess. To have Kristine Lilly as a left midfielder - who better to learn from? Carla Overbeck in the middle. I was definitely in a situation to set up and succeed if I was willing to do the work and embrace it."
MacMillan did - spectacularly
