About Kara

UConn Champ & Olympic Gold Medalist

Kara Wolters, was born August 15, 1975 in Natick, Massachusetts. Currently standing at 6”7” Kara always stood above her peers and faced many challenges with her height, until she turned it into something positive! Affectionately she was nicknamed “Big Girl” and with continued support from her family and friends she found an outlet in basketball, playing on her high school team in Holliston, MA, as well as, her AAU teams.

Kara comes from an experienced basketball family, so their influence was important to Kara’s journey. Her father, William Wolters, is in the Boston College Hall of Fame and played professional basketball in the NBA for the former, Seattle Supersonics. Her older sister, Kristen, played basketball at the University of Rhode Island, and her older brother, Ray played at Eastern Connecticut State University.
Her family had taught her to believe in herself, so she worked tirelessly to accomplish her basketball goals. Through much determination and effort, she continued to work hard and perfect her game. The hard work paid off, and Kara was recruited to play at UCONN for Coach Geno Auriemma on a scholarship, and in 1995, with a 35-0 team record, she won an NCAA National Championship with the UCONN Huskies. Kara went on to become one of only nine players in the world to have the elusive “set”-NCAA National Championship (1995), WNBA Championship (1999) and an Olympic Gold Medal (2000). Kara was also inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, TN (2017).

Today, Kara works as an in-studio analyst for the UCONN Women’s Basketball games on Sports New York Television (SNY). She is also a motivational speaker, a coach to young players in the Connecticut  AAU Programs, and provides her knowledge and skills coaching young athletes by offering private basketball lessons year round and basketball camps for girls during the summer. Kara is married to her husband, Sean Drinan, a financial advisor with Stifel, and they have two beautiful girls, Sydney age 17 and Delaney age 16 and they live in Somers, CT. Both girls follow in mom’s footsteps and play basketball in AAU. Sydney currently plays on the Girls Varsity Basketball Team at Suffield Academy, CT.  Delaney also enjoys Drama/Chorus and participates in the Drama Club and performs in shows at Somers HS.

Collegiate-University of Connecticut:

• During her four seasons (1993–97), 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 was 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.

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 went on to win a WNBA Championship with the team. Then 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. Wolters continued to play for the Monarchs until May 20, 2003.

USA Basketball notes:

• Gold Medal: 2000 2000 Summer Olympics
• 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 September 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.