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Kara Wolters
Kara Wolters (right) and a fan.
WNBA's Retired
Center
Born	August 15, 1975 (1975-08-15) (age 34) Holliston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Nationality	USA
Height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
High school	Holliston High School
College	University of Connecticut,
Draft	3rd round, 36th overall, 1999 Houston Comets
WNBA career	1999–2003
WNBA Teams
Houston Comets (1999) Indiana Fever (2000) Sacramento Monarchs (2001-2002)
Awards and Honors
Ranks second among all-time USA World Championship competitors for blocked shots (11). 1995 Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player 1995 NCAA National Championship 1996 Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player 1997 Big East Conference Player of the Year 1999 WNBA Champion Houston Comets.

Kara Wolters (born August 15, 1975 in Holliston, Massachusetts) is a retired American collegiate and professional basketball player.

Standing at six feet and seven inches (2.01 m), she was appropriately nicknamed "Big Girl". She is the tallest player in University of Connecticut women's basketball history and one of the tallest women to ever play in the WNBA. Only Lindsay Taylor, Katie Feenstra, Zheng Haixia, Maria Stepanova, each 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m), and Margo Dydek at 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) are taller than she is. Despite her tremendous height, she cannot dunk.

Personal

Wolters was born the youngest child of Liz and William Wolters and grew up in a basketball family. Her mother, Liz, once scored 50 points in one game at Wellesley High, more than any Massachusetts high school player before.^[1] Her father, William, is in the Boston College Hall of Fame and played professional basketball for the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA. He was born in West Germany and moved to America with his family when at 11 years old. He later became an insurance lawyer in Boston. Kara has always worn uniform number 52, the same number as her father, as a tribute.

Her brother, Ray Wolters, played basketball at the University of Rhode Island, Assumption College and later Eastern Connecticut State University. Her older sisters Kristen also played college basketball at Rhode Island^[2].

When Katie was six, a tumor was discovered in her brain. The growth was so large and tangled up in her brain stem that complete removal was not possible. Because of the subsequent surgery and treatment with radiation, she developed short-term memory loss and lost some of her sense of balance, and sometimes has seizures that prevent her from driving^[3]. Kara would later formed the "Kara Kares Foundation", which supports brain tumor research.

Wolters married Sean Drinan, a banking executive, in November 2004 and currently works as a color commentator during University of Connecticut women's basketball games. Her first daughter, Sydney Elizabeth, was born on March 8, 2007.

University of Connecticut

She played for the women's basketball team at the University of Connecticut from 1994 to 1997. She was a member of the 1995 team that won the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship, which capped a perfect 35-0 won-loss record.

In 1997 she was named the National Player of the Year.

Wolters was a member of the inaugural class (2006) of inductees to the University of Connecticut women's basketball "Huskies of Honor" recognition program.^[4]

Professional

ABL

Wolters was drafted by the New England Blizzard of the ABL in 1997. She played for the team in the 97-98 and 98-99 seasons, the final two of the league's existence.

WNBA

Wolters was selected by the Houston Comets in the third round (36th overall) during the 1999 WNBA Draft and subsequently in the 2000 Expansion Draft by Indiana Fever.

Wolters was traded to the Sacramento Monarchs for the 14th pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft on April 11, 2001. Wolters continued to play for the Monarchs until May 20, 2003, when she was released^[5].

In her four-year WNBA career, Wolters averaged 50 percent in field goal shooting, 75 percent in free throw shooting, 3.2 rebounds per game, and 6.5 points per game.

International

Wolters was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic women's basketball team during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

She ranks second among all-time USA World Championship competitors for the most blocked shots (11).

Wolters is one of only seven women to receive a Gold Medal in the Olympics, an NCAA championship, and a WNBA Championship. The others are Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Ruth Riley, Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper, and Diana Taurasi.

Honors and Awards

USA Basketball Notes

• Gold Medal: 1999 U.S. Olympic Cup
• Gold Medal: 1998 World Championship
• Gold Medal: 1997 World University Games
• Gold Medal: 1996 R. William Jones Cup
• Silver Medal: 1995 World University Games
• Bronze Medal: 1994 World Championship
• Named to the 1999-2000 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team on January 6, 2000.
• Member of the gold medal winning 1998 USA World Championship Team which finished with a perfect 9-0 record and was named the 1998 USA Basketball Team of the Year; aided the U.S. to a 12-1 record in its 13 game pre-World Championship tour.
• Selected as one of the first six members to the 1998 USA Basketball Women's World Championship Team on Sept. 4, 1997.
• 1996 USA Olympic Team finalist (18).
• The only collegian named to the bronze medal winning 1994 USA World Championship Team.

USA Basketball Records

• Ranks second among all-time USA World Championship competitors for blocked shots (11).
• Drafted by the Indiana Fever in the fourth round (16th overall) of the 2000 WNBA expansion draft.
• Drafted by the Houston Comets in the third round (36th overall) of the 1999 WNBA draft.
• Averaged 1.6 ppg. and 1.2 rpg. for the Houston Comets in 1999.
• Prior to the ABL folding in December, 1998, ranked among league leaders 24th for scoring (11.0 ppg.), 16th for rebounding (5.3 rpg.), third for blocked shots (16) and first for field goal percentage (58.4%).
• Finished the 1997-98 ABL season ranked as the league's leader for blocked shots (1.5 bpg.), fourth in field goal percentage (53.5%) and 16th in rebounds (5.2 rpg.).
• Selected as the third pick in the 1997 ABL Draft by the New England Blizzard.

Collegiate Notes

• During her four seasons (1994-97), UConn compiled a 132-8 record (94.3%), appeared in four NCAA Tournaments, won the 1995 NCAA championship, advanced to the 1996 Final Four, the 1997 and 1994 Final Eights, and won four Big East Conference championships and four Big East Tournament titles.
• Named by Associated Press 1997 All-America first team and Player of the Year.
• Runner-up for the 1997 Boost/Naismith National Player of the Year.
• Awarded the 1996 Victor Award as the nation's top female collegiate player.
• Ranks second among all-time USA World Championship competitors for blocked shots (11).
• She is one of three finalists for the 1997 Women's College Basketball ESPY award.
• Named 1997 All-America by Basketball America, United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and Kodak.
• Named 1996 All-America first team by the USBWA, United Press International and the Associated Press.
• Named 1997 and 1995 District I All-America by Kodak, and 1996 All-America honorable mention by Kodak.
• Named to 1995 NCAA Tournament All-Final Four Team, averaged 20.5 ppg. in the Final Four.
• Named to 1997 and 1996 All-NCAA Midwest Regional and 1995 and 1994 All-NCAA East Regional.
• Named 1997 Big East Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year, 1997 and 1996 All-Big East first team, 1995 All-Big East second team and 1994 Big East All-Rookie Team.
• Named 1996 and 1995 Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player and Big East All-Tournament all four years.

University of Connecticut Statistics

See also

• Heightism
• Human height
• Growth hormone

External links

• Official Site
• WNBA Player Profile
• Bio on Kara

Notes