![]() Bell with Gotham FC in 2024 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Maycee Nicole Bell [1] | ||
Date of birth | September 18, 2000 | ||
Place of birth | Wichita, Kansas, U.S. | ||
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
Position(s) | Center back, right back | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | North Carolina Courage | ||
Number | 27 | ||
Youth career | |||
Sporting Blue Valley | |||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2019–2023 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 77 | (7) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2024 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 8 | (1) |
2024– | North Carolina Courage | 2 | (0) |
International career | |||
2017–2018 | United States U-19 | 2 | (0) |
2018–2020 | United States U-20 | 8 | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of September 21, 2024 |
Maycee Nicole Bell (born September 18, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, she played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels. She was selected by NJ/NY Gotham FC in the first round of the 2024 NWSL Draft. She represented the United States at the youth international level.
Bell was born in Wichita, Kansas, to former college basketball players Brett and Kristy Bell, and has five younger siblings. [1] She began playing soccer as a forward but was converted to center back at her first youth national team training camp in 2014. [2] She said she "realized I loved stopping people from scoring more than I actually loved scoring" and modeled her game partly after national team defender Becky Sauerbrunn. [2] [3]
Bell played one year of high school soccer as a freshman at Trinity Academy, scoring 19 goals at forward in 14 games, and was named Kansas's Gatorade Player of the Year for 2015–16. [4] [5] She moved to the Kansas City area to play year-round with ECNL club Sporting Blue Valley, which she captained from 2014 to 2017, and attended Blue Valley Southwest, Blue Valley West, and Insight School of Kansas. [1] [2] Bell moved to North Carolina in her senior year to play for the North Carolina Courage Academy and would train with the Courage first team during her college off-seasons. [6]
Bell started for the North Carolina Tar Heels from her first week in 2019, when she was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Defensive Player of the Week. [7] She scored a career-high three goals as a freshman, including one in the ACC tournament final and one during the NCAA tournament, where the team finished runners-up. [8] [9] She was named ACC Freshman of the Year and second-team All-ACC. [10] She was named to the All-ACC first team for fall 2020, and she recovered from ankle surgery to return in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament that spring. [1] [11]
Bell was named first-team All-ACC and second-team All-American as a junior in 2021, though she injured her left ankle in the second-to-last match of the regular season. [12] [13] She sat out her senior year after tearing her meniscus in the first game of the 2022 season. [14] She returned for a fifth year to co-captain North Carolina as a redshirt senior and was named to the All-ACC second team in 2023. [1]
Reigning NWSL champions NJ/NY Gotham FC selected Bell with the 14th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NWSL Draft, their sole pick of the night. [15] [16] She signed a three-year guaranteed contract with the team in February 2024. [17] She made her professional debut as a substitute in the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup on March 15 and made her first regular-season appearance as a substitute in an away loss to the Washington Spirit on April 20. [18] [19] She earned her first start in a 1–0 win against the Houston Dash on May 8. [20] On June 19, she scored her first professional goal off Jenna Nighswonger's cross late in stoppage time for a 2–1 win over the San Diego Wave. [21]
On August 21, 2024, Gotham FC traded Bell to the North Carolina Courage for $80,000 in allocation money and $10,000 in intra-league transfer funds. [22] She debuted for her former youth club on September 8, substituting late for Felicitas Rauch in a 4–1 win against the San Diego Wave. [23]
Bell trained with the United States youth national team beginning at the under-16 level in 2014. [1] She scored for the under-20 team in a friendly in March 2019 and recorded an assist at the 2020 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, which the United States won. [24] [25] She received her first call-up with the senior national team in December 2019 but had to miss the camp due to injury. [26]
Heather Ann O'Reilly is an American professional women's soccer player who plays as a midfielder. She played for the United States women's national soccer team (USWNT), with whom she won three Olympic gold medals and a FIFA Women's World Cup. From 2003 to 2006, she played college soccer for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). During her club career, O'Reilly played for the New Jersey Wildcats, Sky Blue FC (WPS), Boston Breakers, FC Kansas City (NWSL), Arsenal, North Carolina Courage (NWSL), and Shelbourne (WNL).
Casey Nicole Loyd is an American former professional soccer midfielder. She played collegiately for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where she won two national championships. She played professionally for the Los Angeles Sol, Sky Blue FC, and Chicago Red Stars of the WPS and FC Kansas City of the NWSL. She earned five caps with the United States national team. As a member of the national under-20 team, she played at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship and the 2007 Pan American Games.
Yael Averbuch West is an American former professional soccer player. She was formerly the executive director of the National Women's Soccer League Players Association and is the current general manager of NJ/NY Gotham FC. A retired professional soccer player, she last played as a defender for Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League.
Crystal Alyssia Soubrier is an American professional soccer player for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Gotham FC and the United States national team. She can play a variety of positions at forward, midfield, or defense.
Merritt Elizabeth Mathias is an American former professional soccer player who most recently played as a right back for Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She has won three NWSL Shields and three NWSL Championships during her twelve seasons in the NWSL: one Championship with FC Kansas City, one Shield with Seattle Reign FC, and two doubles with the North Carolina Courage. She played extensively with the youth national team and earned one cap with the United States senior team in 2018.
Emily Ann Fox is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right back for Women's Super League club Arsenal and the United States national team.
Dorian Josey Bailey is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Bay FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels before being drafted by the Washington Spirit in the first round of the 2019 NWSL College Draft.
Victoria Serena Pickett is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Canada national team.
Taylor Marie Otto is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for A-League Women club Melbourne City.
Brianna Alexis Smalls Pinto is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Delanie Breann Sheehan is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward and midfielder for NJ/NY Gotham FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the UCLA Bruins.
Malia Nicole Berkely is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Tori Elizabeth Hansen is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Brooklyn FC of the USL Super League. Internationally she has represented the United States at multiple youth levels.
Allyson Marie Sentnor is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder or forward for the Utah Royals of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels before being picked first overall by the Royals in the 2024 NWSL Draft. Sentnor played for the youth national team at every age level and captained the under-20 team to bronze at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
Avery Jean Patterson is an American professional soccer player who plays for the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels. She was selected by the Dash in the 2024 NWSL Draft.
Emily Rose Moxley is an American professional soccer player who is a defender for Carolina Ascent FC of the USL Super League. She played college soccer for the UNC Wilmington Seahawks and the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Emmie Allen is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Bay FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Samantha Meza is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Dallas Trinity FC of the USL Super League, on loan from Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels before being drafted by the Reign in the 2024 NWSL Draft. She represented the United States at the under-15, under-17, and under-20 level, winning CONCACAF tournaments at each level.
Julia Carroll Dorsey is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Dallas Trinity FC of the USL Super League, on loan from National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club North Carolina Courage. A former two-sport athlete, she played soccer and lacrosse at the University of North Carolina, winning the NCAA championship with the lacrosse team in 2022. She was selected by the Courage in the 2024 NWSL Draft.
Alexandra Amalia Kimball-Suarez is a Peruvian-American soccer coach and player. Born and raised in the United States, she has represented Peru at the international level. She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels before being drafted by Utah Royals FC in the 2019 NWSL College Draft.