Carolina Ascent FC’s Rylee Baisden Has No Plans to Hang Up Her Boots Anytime Soon
- TopBin90 Football
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
By Rylee McKinney
Carolina Ascent FC forward Rylee Baisden did not see playing soccer as a career path until her junior year at Pepperdine University. After her fifth year at University, Baisden finally put her name in the draft.
Despite not receiving a bid in the United States, Baisden took her professional soccer career overseas. Straight out of college, Baisden played in Australia for Moreton Bay United in the National Premier League and Brisbane Roar FC in the A-League. She later returned home and had a brief stint with the Houston Dash in the NWSL.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 interrupted regular-season play, leaving Baisden temporarily off the field. After the pandemic, Baisden signed on with North Carolina Courage FC from 2020 to 2022. Eventually, her limited playing time with Courage FC motivated her to sign on with Carolina Ascent FC in the Gainbridge Super League for the 2024-2025 inaugural season.
Baisden is originally from Yorba Linda, California, but her love for the East Coast has developed hand-in-hand with her professional soccer career. With Ascent, Baisden has played in 18 games with 16 starts. As a forward, she has taken a total of 28 shots with 1 goal so far this season. Currently, Baisden sits on Ascent’s injury report with a tear in her hamstring, but has high hopes of recovering for the playoffs.
Injury Setbacks
Baisden’s career overseas with Moreton Bay United in Australia was extremely successful. She scored an incredible 33 goals in 23 games and was nominated for Player of the Year during the 2018-2019 season. However, Baisden suffered a knee injury while overseas, interrupting her flow.
“The recovery from my knee was tough. I did it when I was in Perth...But it was just isolating…I think injury just really kind of resets you and humbles you a little bit.”
She described her rehabilitation journey as sometimes isolating, as she was far from friends and family. However, she attributes her successful recovery to her fiancé, as he was her “rock” during recovery. Separated from the team and limited to physical therapy, Baisden learned to appreciate the ability to play the sport she loves. After a year-long recovery and break from professional play, Baisden returned to the United States with high hopes of returning to the pitch. This current season with Carolina Ascent FC, Baisden noted, was her first full season back playing after her knee injury.
Most recently, Baisden appeared on Carolina Ascent FC’s injury report with a partial tear in her hamstring. She is still in rehab for this injury, but shared her animated aspirations to return for Carolina Ascent FC’s playoff matches.
Overseas Play, NWSL, and USL
Baisden’s extensive professional career has taken her overseas as well as on home soil. After college, Baisden played overseas in Australia for Moreton Bay United while it was in the Division 2 league. Under Moreton Bay, she scored an incredible 33 goals and held 7 assists in just 23 matches. Her success with Moreton Bay led to her time in the first division with Brisbane Roar FC in the A-League. With Brisbane, she played in a total of 11 matches during her debut season, with 3 goals and 3 assists.
When asked about her experience with overseas play, Baisden had a lot to share:
“I just played very free when I was overseas. I almost felt like I didn't have any pressure, just to play and have fun. And I think that's honestly when most players play at their best is when they're free and don't feel a lot of pressure. Yeah, that whole year was such a blur for me. I can't even recall probably two of the goals that I've scored during that time because I just had a good time and my teammates were awesome and yeah, it was a weird flow state.”
When Baisden returned to the United States, she signed on with the Houston Dash in the NWSL League. However, the impending COVID-19 epidemic interrupted Baisden’s plans. After moving home with her father, Baisden grew apprehensive about the shelf life of her professional career.
Luckily, a phone call from the North Carolina Courage welcomed Baisden back onto the field for the 2020 to 2022 seasons. Yet, a lack of playing time motivated Baisden to seek a change. With the development of the USL Super League, now the Gainsbridge Super League, Baisden found an opportunity to see the pitch again. Baisden even commented on her perceived difference between the NWSL and the USL leagues, noting, “ I think obviously the NWSL is a little bit more established, but I do think there's a lot of great players in this league that maybe got overlooked in the NWSL or even overseas and now they're having a platform to play and shine.”
The biggest link between the NWSL and USL for Baisden is that both leagues promote opportunities for female athletes, whether just out of college or looking for something different later in their careers.
Pre-Game Rituals
Pre-game rituals are not extensive for Baisden, but that suits her perfectly. With Carolina Ascent FC, Baisden prioritizes rest and sharing a space with her teammates before each match. Before match time, Baisden starts her day with a short walk and stretch as well as indulging in her favorite protein pancakes. When the team plays away, Baisden shares her routine with her teammates, continuing a restful morning full of team meals and “zen.”
Baisden’s favorite pre-match ritual is her time in the locker room with her teammates:
“When the music is bumping and we're doing our prehab and everyone's getting taped and stuff, I feel like that's the fun time.”
In the absence of superstitions or extensive pre-game rituals, Baisden embodies the culture of Carolina Ascent FC and the importance of “just showing up.”
Standout Moment of Her Career
Despite her impressive professional career, Baisden turned the conversation away from herself. When asked about a standout moment in her career, she praised the community associated with collegiate and professional play.
“I feel like the thing that stands out most is just like the teammates that I've acquired over my career, I think they're the people that I've come across, whether it be teammates or coaches. I don't know, my favorite places are where the people are.”
Ultimately, Baisden highlighted her strong bonds with both current and former players and coaches as the highlight of her career. She even added that Carolina Ascent FC’s roster has a natural chemistry off the field that easily translates on the field. She even spoke about how, despite her injury, she felt the team stepped it up this season, channeling their off-field bonds into goals.
“Joy” was the keyword for Baisden when asked about her favorite memory with her Carolina Ascent FC teammates. She added that the team’s “tight-knit” mentality deconstructs the “mandatory” team bonding events into a place for growth and fun.
After Soccer?
“I don’t want to hang up my boots anytime soon!”
Rylee Baisden intends to continue her professional career with Carolina Ascent FC and explicitly shared her passion for the game. Yet, like all good things, it will come to an end one day.
Luckily, in 2020, despite COVID-19’s halt to all things professional soccer, Baisden founded her company, Sweat Happy Club. Her company focuses on helping clients reach their fitness goals. With comprehensive workout guides, Baisden simply encourages her clients to find the joy in fitness. With Sweat Happy Club as a foundation, Baisden wishes to carry out her “side-hustles” in a central space to share with her community.
When all is said and done, Baisden hopes to own a studio that could blend her passions and hobbies into one space. Back in college, Baisden held a passion for photography and even dabbled in coaching. From photography to coaching to coffee, Baisden has big dreams beyond the pitch.
Check out Baisden’s Sweat Happy Club here: https://sweathappyclub.com/
Words of Advice For Young Athletes
Rylee Baisden’s extensive experience both on and off the field is inspiring to fans and players.
As a mentor for young athletes herself, Baisden acknowledges the complexities of deciding to play in college, go pro, or even go overseas for young athletes. However, she shared that her personal experience as a student athlete and a professional athlete overseas felt like a “trance” that developed her as both a player and a person.
As Baisden reminisced about her college experience as a student-athlete, she said, “I think it's a full-time job for sure. But being able to play and get my education, I would go back and do it again the same way in a heartbeat. So yeah, I just say go for it.” Similarly, regarding overseas play, Baisden praised her experiences, suggesting that players should seriously consider playing overseas at some point in their career.
“And I honestly think if people want to or even think about going overseas, I say do it!”
Gainbridge Super League Coverage
The 2024-2025 inaugural season may be coming to a close for the Gainbridge Super League. Yet, Rylee Baisden and Carolina Ascent FC are nowhere near done! With playoffs just around the corner, the league is heating up, and the Ascent has clinched the top spot. Be sure to stick with Topbin90 for further coverage, interviews, and articles about Carolina Ascent FC.
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