EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The start of the NWSL's Challenge Cup and regular season are quickly approaching and many players who sharpened their skills to become the players they are today are returning to where it all started, here in Southern California.

Check out the list below to see who's coming back and where they will play this season.

• DOB: 12-29-1988
• Hometown: Palos Verdes Estates
• College: Stanford
• Position: Forward
• Height: 5’ 6”
• Club: Angel City FC

Christen Press is a 2007 graduate of Chadwick School in Palos Verdes where she was a 2006 All-American and Parade Magazine All-American. She scored 128 total goals, and 38 as a junior, which is a school record.

Press played her college career at Stanford, where she still holds the school records for careers points (183), goals (71), assists (41) and shots (500). She won the Hermann Trophy, which is awarded to the nation’s best college player, in 2010.

Press has been a national team staple for nearly a decade, and since earning her first cap in 2013 has scored 64 goals, which ranks her ninth all-time. She has won two world cups (2015, 2019), and a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics.

Since turning pro in 2011 Press has played for multiple clubs, including the Washington Freedom/magicJack, Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC, Tyresö FF, Chicago Red Stars, Utah Royals and Manchester United.

In August 2021, Press was traded back home to Angel City FC for a 2022 first-round draft pick and $75,000 in allocation money to Racing Louisville.

• DOB: 7-2-1989
• Hometown: Diamond Bar
• College: University of California, Berkeley
• Position: Forward
• Height: 5’ 7”
• Club: San Diego Wave FC

Alex Morgan is a 2007 graduate of Diamond Bar High School, where she was a NSCAA All-American and a three-time all-league pick. She was also a scholar-athlete for all four years. And in 2006 Morgan captained her Olympic Development Program (ODP) team, where they reached the Cal South national title game.

She played four years at Cal and is tied for third all-time in goals (45) and is alone in third in points scored with 107.

Morgan started playing for the USWNT in 2010 and is currently ranked fifth all-time in goals scored (115). She is a two-time World Cup Champion (2015, 2019) and two-time Olympic medal winner with a gold medal in 2012 and bronze in 2020.

Professionally, Morgan has played for the Western New York Flash, Seattle Sounders Women, Portland Thorns, Orlando Pride and Tottenham.

In December 2021, Morgan was traded from the Orlando Pride to San Diego Wave FC in exchange for Angharad James and $275,000 in allocation money. It is the largest dollar amount for a single transaction in NWSL history, according to Just Women’s Sports.

• DOB: 10-30-1987
• Hometown: Pacific Palisades
• College: Stanford
• Position: Defender
• Height: 5’4”
• Club: Angel City FC

Ali Riley graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in North Hollywood in 2006. She was a two-time Mission League Offensive MVP, two-time first-team San Fernando Valley selection and was selected for the All-CIF Southern Section Division 1 first team. Riley helped lead the Wolverines to the 2006 Southern Section Division 1 championship game.

She played at Stanford from 2006 to 2009, playing alongside Christen Press, who will join her at Angel City FC this upcoming season.

Riley has been a member of the New Zealand national team since 2007, where she has 140 appearances. She has played in four World Cups and four Olympic games, making her one of the most experienced players in international play.

Professionally, Riley has played for FC Gold Pride, Western New York Flash, LdB FC Malmö/FC Rosengård, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and the Orlando Pride.

Last month, Riley was traded from the Orlando Pride to Angel City FC for a 2023 third-round draft pick and $15,000 in allocation money.

• DOB: 2-25-1994
• Hometown: Chino Hills
• College: Virginia
• Position: Forward
• Height: 5’8”
• Club: San Diego Wave FC

Makenzy Doniak graduated from Ayala High School in Chino Hills in 2012. In her four years as a varsity player, she had 60 goals and 24 assists in 71 games. In her junior year, Doniak lead the Bulldogs to a CIF-SS Division 3 runner-up finish.

She went on to play college soccer at the University of Virginia from 2012 to 2015. In her freshman year, she made the ACC All-Freshman team and appeared in all 24 games. As a sophomore, Doniak was a First-Team NSCAA All-American and a Hermann Trophy semifinalist. In her junior year, she led the ACC in goals (20) and scoring (51 points) and was once again a Hermann Trophy semifinalist. And in her senior year, she was named ACC Offensive player of the year and set a single-game UVA record with four goals at North Carolina State. Doniak is still the school's all-time leader in points (164) and goals (64).

Internationally, Doniak has represented the United States at the U-18 and U-20 level.

Professionally, she has played for the Western New York Flash, NC Courage, Utah Royals and the Chicago Red Stars.

In December 2021, Doniak was traded to from the Red Stars to San Diego Wave FC with two other players — Katie Johnson and Kelsey Turnbow. In exchange, Chicago received full protection in the 2022 NWSL expansion draft.

• DOB: 3-17-1994
• Hometown: Capistrano Beach
• College: Santa Clara
• Position: Midfielder
• Height: 5’8”
• Club: Angel City FC

Danielle Weatherholt graduated from San Clemente High School in 2012, where she twice won South Coast League championships in ’09 and ’12. Weatherholt and the Broncos won the D1 CIF state championship in 2009.

In her four years at Santa Clara, she played in every game of every season, and was twice named All-WCC Honorable Mention and WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention. In her senior year, Weatherholt was Third Team All-West Region and First Team All-WCC.

Professionally, she has played for the Orlando Pride, Melbourne Victory and the OL Reign.

In December 2021, Weatherholt was selected by Angel City FC as the first pick in the 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft.

You can find Angel City FC's Challenge Cup schedule here.

You can find San Diego Wave FC's Challenge Cup schedule here.

Statistics and trade details provided by: ussoccer.com, justwomenssports.com, fbref.com, gostanford.com, teamusa.org, calbears.com, bleacherreport.com, foxsports.com, footballfoundation.org, virginiasports.com, chicagoredstars.com, maxpreps.com, dailynews.com, linkedin.com and santaclarabroncos.com