Madelyn Desiano has racked up the accomplishments on the soccer field. In high school, she was a three-time All-CIF SS selection, an All-American as a senior, led her club team to a national championship and competed with the U.S. National Team. She went on to UCLA, overcoming two knee injuries to become a starter for the Bruins and was a key member of the 2022 NCAA National Champion team. She was drafted by the Houston Dash of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), playing one season before transferring to Odense Boldklub Q in Kvinde-DM Liga in Denmark. She’s come back stateside, signing with Spokane Zephyer FC in the Gainbridge Super League.
All of that experience, and the lessons she learned along the way, inspired Desiano to write a book on that magical UCLA title run- Bend Never Break: The inside story of UCLA Women’s Soccer and their inspiring National Championship journey. Before she joined her new club, Desiano took an afternoon to return to Aliso Niguel High School and share her story with a group of students in a special assembly.
During the Q&A session, Desiano recounted her journey from high school to collegiate to professional athlete, her inspiration for writing a book and how she overcame adversity in a variety of ways. While it was never her intention to be a published author, she took inspiration from her parents to memorialize UCLA’s second women’s soccer championship, sharing the unique stories of her teammates and coaches.
