NJ/NY Gotham FC Welcomes New NWSL Draft Pick

January 17, 2024

On Friday, the National Women's Soccer League welcomed 56 new players in the 2024 Draft. Utah Royals FC had the No. 1 overall pick, selecting Ally Senator from the University of North Carolina. The second pick went to Bay FC and the third pick to the Washington Spirit.

NJ/NY Gotham FC selected University of North Carolina center back Maycee Bell with the 14th pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft.

Bell started every collegiate match since her freshman year in 2019. Since then, she had earned four ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors and was the 2019 ACC Freshman of the Year. In her four seasons with the Tarheels, Bell played in two NCAA College Cup Finals.

This past season, Bell returned from a season ending injury and was named co-captain. She was part of a backline that allowed only 7.4 shots per game and held 20 of their 23 opponents to 10 shots or less. In her redshirt senior season, Bell started all 20 games, logging 1,696 minutes, scoring two goals and having two assists.

Following Ali Krieger's retirement after the 2023 season, Gotham went into the draft looking for a central defender.

"We talked about all the possibilities for center backs specifically and if Maycee could possibly still be available by 14", Gotham FC's General Manager and Head of Soccer Operations Yael Averbuch West said about the Draft. "She has all the tools to succeed at the next level and we look forward to supporting her to be her very best".