One of the most versatile players in women's water polo history, Melissa Seidemann quickly emerged as a world-class talent – and a nightmare for opponents – thanks to her incomparable skills as a center, lockdown defensive play at two meters, and deceptive touch scoring from the perimeter. After graduating from College Park High School in Northern California in 2008, the East Bay native went to Stanford University where she helped the Cardinal launch a dominant run that has continued for much of the past 15 years.

After helping Stanford win the 2011 NCAA title, Seidemann claimed the 2013 Peter J. Cutino Award as the best player in the college game. As an undergraduate, she also became a fixture on the USA women's national team. She made her senior national team debut in 2010 and made history in 2012 by helping Team USA win its first Olympic gold medal in women's water polo. Seidemann was also part of the next two gold-medal runs, in 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo, and became only the second female water polo player in history to win three Olympic golds. That's in addition to claiming three World Championship gold medals, three World Cup crowns, three Pan American Games golds, and 10 World League titles.

On the club scene, Seidemann got her start in water polo with the Devil Mountain Water Polo Club. Once she reached the elite level she competed abroad for the likes of CN Sabadell and was a fixture back home for the New York Athletic Club for many years. She retired after the Tokyo Olympics, but the Stanford Hall of Famer has stayed close to the game as both a club coach and high school coach in Orange County. Today, Seidemann continues to inspire the next generation of athletes through her work as a coach and mentor in Southern California.