Athlete Spotlight: LeeLee Bell

MINOT  – LeeLee Bell’s accomplishments on the high school basketball court will long be remembered after her playing days at Minot High are through.
The 6-3 senior is the Division AA/A all-time leading scorer; a milestone she reached at last season’s state tournament. She’s now chasing 3,000 career points and is on track to become the AA/A all-time leading rebounder by season’s end. She also has a pair of Gatorade Player of the Year awards to her credit along with all-state honors. And next year she will be taking her talents to the University of Oklahoma.
But she is hopeful her Minot High career will end with one more magical postseason run.
As an eighth grader, Bell was part of a Majette squad that captured the school’s first state title in over four decades (1978). She along with fellow eighth grade standout, Maggie Fricke, played key roles on a talented team that season. 
“My first season was really fun,’’ Bell recalls. “Not just because we won, but because of the team we had and the (coaching) staff. Lots of the older girls would help me when I needed it. Thinking about it, I wished I would have soaked it in more.”
With several young and talented players returning after the 2022 team, it appeared another state title wasn’t far behind. But each season poses new challenges and a growing list of talented teams poised to create their own postseason magic. And unfortunately for Minot High, those following seasons came with serious injuries. Despite those setbacks, the program has still been among the best in the state. Wins have come with regularity. So has conference crowns and state tournament appearances. However, getting back to the state title game has proven elusive. 
There is still one more opportunity for Bell and her teammates to win a state tournament title again. 
Her game has matured since that first season in a Majette uniform.
“She has gotten better at being a more well-round player on both ends of the court,’’ said Minot coach Jason Schwarz. “She’s always seen as a scorer, but those that watch closely can see how she impacts our play and impacts the game in so many different ways.”
Those areas include her passing, ball-handing, rebounding and solid positional play on defense. Bell has a high basketball IQ and understands where to be to make a play at a critical time.
Bell’s talents and impact on the program have not surprised Schwarz. 
“I felt that she could be the top scorer in the history of AA/A basketball, which she has accomplished. “I also felt that way about Maggie (Fricke), especially since they both started playing their junior high years. And if Maggie wouldn’t have been injured, I feally feel like LeeLee and Maggie would be 1-2 scorers in the history of AA/A basketball.”
Basketball came at a very young age for LeeLee. She learned to shoot a ball at age two with her father. She tried other sports including softball, soccer and swimming, but nothing could peak her enjoyment on the basketball court. 
“When I was younger I was shorter than most of my teammates,’’ Bell said. “So that made me have to handle the ball and play on the wing, rather than inside. But as I got older and taller then I kept working on those skills, but added the post work.”
Few players have come on the scene who can play at the post or the perimeter and look comfortable in either spot. Bell is such a player. She can attack the basket with her size, footwork and strength on one trip down the court. And then hit a three-pointer off the dribble on her next.
It’s those skills that have made her so difficult to contain.
While on-court skills seemed to come naturally, finding her place as a leader among older players took some time, however. It’s not uncommon for an underclassmen to carve out a spot in a varsity lineup. But it is rare when a player has a key role. 
“It’s hard to tell a kid when they are in junior high or even as a freshmen or sophomore to be more vocal, which leadership usually requires,’’ Schwarz said. “It took some time as it would anyone to get comfortable doing so.”
In time she established herself in that role as one of the vocal leaders.
The past several years have been busy. Following the high school season, Bell gears up for a challenging summer complete with camps, practices and AAU travel ball. She plays for a team based in Minnesota which competed in tournaments around the country, facing talented team and players. It was those experience that sharpened her skills and helped build her mental toughness.
It’s also where college recruiters and coaches started to take notice of her talents.
Bell was grateful for the amount of attention she received from so many college programs. It was exciting, but also a bit overwhelming. There was much to ponder before deciding on a school. 
“OU (Oklahoma) was my final pick because I really was going off that gut feeling and I love the coaching staff and the girls,’’ she said. “They made me feel like it was home right away.”
There was a sense of relief when she had this decision behind her. “It was like a weight lifted off my chest.”
There are great things ahead for Bell, who is currently averaging 27 points and 12 rebounds per game. But also challenges.
Among them is becoming better conditioned for the intensity, physicality and higher pace of play.
“She's going to have to get up and down the floor a lot at the next level," Schwarz said. “So having that ability and conditioning level to run hard and fast up and down the court all game long is going to be her next task to master. She can do it but it's going to be a grind. I’m excited to watch her development over the years.”
Despite all the games, milestones and experiences, Bell said it’s hard to believe this is her final high school season.
“I still feel like I have another season after this,’’ she said. “It hasn’t hit me yet (the end is near).”
But there is still time to make a few more  moments to remember with her teammates.
I've met so many amazing people along the way,’’ Bell said.

Photo courtesy, Eric Pearson, Minot Public Schools