Alyssa Thompson ’23, Gisele Thompson ’24, and Ali Riley ’06 — former high school soccer players and alumnae of the school, who now all play together for Angel City Football Club (ACFC) — returned on campus on Feb. 3 to attend the girls soccer match against Chaminade High School, which ended in a 2-3 loss. The three players met with young fans for photos and autographs, and younger attendees had the chance to enter a free raffle to win Alyssa Thompson’s signed United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) uniform.

Alyssa Thompson, who made history as the youngest player to debut in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) when she joined ACFC, reuniting with Riley — who had previously led the school’s team to a Division I final in 2006 before becoming an Olympian and a veteran of 115 international matches. As a student, Alyssa Thompson was an active competitor on the U-20 national team and later earned a spot on the USWNT. After graduating in 2023, she competed in the Women’s World Cup in Australia that summer.

Gisele Thompson said there was a lot of dedication and sacrifices required to reach the professional level.

“I think just pushing and working hard [was key],” Gisele said. “I made so many sacrifices, and I had to miss things that normal teenage girls get to do, but making those sacrifices really pushed me to be where I am.”

Gisele Thompson said her academic pursuits allowed her to grow as a student while also being a competitive soccer player.

“My academic track was definitely very hard,” Gisele said. “But I think the help from all my teachers and all of my friends helped me to get where I am. Being able to always like ask questions and being on top of my work was very helpful.”

During the meet and greet, a long line of supporters and fans gathered near Taper Athletic Pavilion, eager to meet the athletes, eager to meet the athletes. Among them was fourth grader Zoe Hong, who said she had mixed emotions meeting the players.

“I feel excited but nervous at the same time,” Hong said. “I used to play soccer [and] I’m here because my sister is applying to the school.”

Athletic Director Jason Kelly who organized the event, said he was ecstatic to have all three athletes back on campus.

“I used to coach Ali Riley when she was a club soccer player, so I followed her career a lot,” Kelly said. “And obviously, when she became a professional soccer player at Angel City, it was such a prideful moment for not only myself but, of course, for our school.”

Kelly also said the school takes great pride in having three alumnae reach the professional level.

“When Alyssa and Giselle signed professionally for Angel City, I thought it was remarkable that one high school could have three professional soccer players,” Kelly said. “So we wanted to organize an evening to celebrate that incredible achievement.”