McDonough is a ground ball machine who brings nonstop hustle to the midfield. She attacks loose balls aggressively and has the speed and long strides to immediately turn a possession into transition. Her height is a huge advantage on the draw, where she can create possessions and consistently make her presence felt in the circle.

Offensively, McDonough has plenty of ways to hurt a defense. She makes excellent cuts, finishes quickly off the catch, and can rip shots from both inside the 8-meter and farther out. Her dodging ability gives her another way to create offense rather than waiting for opportunities to come to her. Between her draw work, transition speed, finishing ability, and effort on ground balls, McDonough is the type of midfielder who can change a game in several different ways.