Nicolle Payne is long respected as one of the top goalies in the history of Team USA, both before and after women's water polo became an Olympic discipline. She established her excellence at an early age, playing on the boys' team at Gahr High School in Cerritos, California, where she was a three-time All-American. She made her international debut at the 1992 Junior World Championships. Two years later, she became the first woman recruited for the brand-new UCLA women's water polo program. In Westwood, Payne was part of three National Championship teams (before the NCAA era), earned multiple All-America honors, and still holds the Bruins' single-saves record at 225.
 
When women's water polo was finally added to the Olympic program, at the 2000 Sydney Games, Payne was a mainstay in the goal for Team USA, helping it claim the silver medal. In 2003, she was part of the first US team to win a FINA World Championship title, taking top honors in Barcelona. She ended her international career in goal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, claiming the bronze. Payne is enshrined in the New York Athletic Club and UCLA Halls of Fame and was a Pac-12 All-Century team pick. She has remained close to the game as a coach for UCLA and Team USA, most recently helping the US squad win gold at the 2022 FINA World Championships.