Draft:Maya McCutcheon

Maya McCutcheon (born April 12, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Oklahoma Sooners and the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Early life
McCutcheon grew up in Murphy, Texas, one of three children born to Dadario and Melanie McCutcheon. Her father played college football at Tuskegee, and her sister, Daria, played college basketball at Louisiana Tech. A captain for FC Dallas's youth program, McCutcheon won the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) under-16 national championship in 2017 and conference titles in 2017 and 2018. She played high school soccer at Plano East Senior High School and committed to the University of Oklahoma as a sophomore.

College career
McCutcheon played two seasons at Oklahoma, making 35 appearances and 27 starts, and was named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team after scoring three goals in 2019. She then transferred to West Virginia University and scored on her debut for the Mountaineers in a 4–0 win against Buffalo in August 2021. A co-captain in two years, she won the 2022 Big 12 tournament with West Virginia and started all 62 games in three seasons.

Club career
McCutcheon went undrafted in the 2024 NWSL Draft. She signed a one-year injury replacement contract with the North Carolina Courage after training with Bay FC and the Courage in the 2024 preseason.