Maycee Bell

College career

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. 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. She was named ACC Freshman of the Year, second-team All-ACC, and third-team All-American.

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 pensultimate regular-season game. She sat out the following season after tearing her meniscus in the first game of 2022. 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. She was signed to a three-year contract. On March 15, she made her professional debut as a substitute in the NWSL Challenge Cup, a 1–0 loss to the San Diego Wave. She made her first regular-season appearance on April 20, coming in for Bruninha in a 2–1 away defeat to the Washington Spirit. She earned her first start on May 8, taking Bruninha's place in a 1–0 win against the Houston Dash. On June 19, she scored her first professional goal in late stoppage time against the San Diego Wave, finishing off Jenna Nighswonger's cross to secure a 2–1 victory. She started four games in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, helping Gotham advance to the final. In half a season with Gotham, she made 13 appearances (7 starts) and scored 1 goal in all competitions.

North Carolina Courage 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. 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.

Bell made her first start for the Courage on March 22, 2025, playing left back in the home-opening 2–1 loss to the Seattle Reign. On April 13, she made her first Courage start at center back after Malia Berkely was a late scratch against Gotham FC. North Carolina head coach Sean Nahas, who had coached her with the Courage Academy, subsequently trusted her as a regular starter. On May 3, she won all eight duels and three tackles during a 2–0 win over the Utah Royals, becoming the first NWSL player in five years to go 100% in those statistics on that many attempts. On December 5, the Courage announced that they had signed Bell to a contract extension through 2028.

International career

Bell trained with the United States youth national team beginning at the under-16 level in 2014. She received her first call-up with the senior national team in December 2019 but had to miss the camp due to injury.

Honors and awards

North Carolina Tar Heels Atlantic Coast Conference: 2019, 2020, 2022 ACC tournament: 2019

Individual Second-team All-American: 2021 Third-team All-American: 2019 First-team All-ACC: 2020, 2021 Second-team All-ACC: 2019, 2023 ACC Freshman of the Year: 2019 ACC tournament all-tournament team: 2019