Stefanie Dolson is a remarkable women’s basketball player who is currently ranked as one of the top players in college basketball. A year ago, her team won their first national championship. We’ll be talking about how she started her career in basketball, what it’s like being on such an amazing team, and why you should follow her career!
Quick Bio
| Full Name: | Stefanie Dolson |
| Date of Birth: | January 8th, 1992 |
| Current Age: | 29 years old |
| Father's Name: | Steve Dolson |
| Mother's Name: | Kristal Dolson |
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight: | 105 kg(231 lbs) |
| Place of Birth: | Port Jervis, New York |
| Profession: | Professional Basketball Player |
| Salary: | $175,000(approx.) |
| Net Worth: | $5 million(approx.) |
Basic Information
Stefanie Dolson is an American professional basketball player named as one of the top 10 players under 25 years old. Born on 8th January 1992(age 29), Dolson is the daughter of Steve and Kristal Dolson. She is also a descendant of 17th century Minisink, NY-area settler and beaver-pelt trader James Dolson. She has two older sisters: Courtney and Ashley and one younger brother Jake.
Physical Appearance
Stefanie Dolson is 29 years old as of 2021. She is tall at 6 feet and 5 inches(1.96m) and has a bodyweight of 231 lbs. She has a pair of light brown eyes and dark brown hair. Her height makes her a good center for both power forward and small forward positions. In addition, she can play either guard position if needed.
Early Career
As a member of the National Honor Society, Dolson played basketball and volleyball at Minisink Valley High School in Slate Hill, New York. She averaged 18.9 points, 16.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 6.2 blocks as a junior. During her senior year, she averaged 22.8 points, 18.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 5.2 blocks.
During her college years, Dolson was subsequently named to the Big East Rookie Team alongside teammate Bria Hartley. In her sophomore year, she was the leader in blocks with 57 and she pulled down 6.0 grabs a game for the Huskies. In 38 of the UConn’s 39 games Dolson played, she was third on the team with 13.6 points and led the squad with 7.1 rebounds per game in her junior year. Whereas, during her senior season, she led the nation in blocked shots with 3.4 blocks per game. Her stats were 21.5 points per game, 15.3 rebounds per game, 4.0 assists per game, and 2.4 steals per game. She helped lead the University of Connecticut to its second straight NCAA Championship title after defeating Notre Dame 74–54 in the final match-up. The win gave them their fourth consecutive Final Four appearance.
She is currently playing for the Chicago Sky of the WNBA. Dolson is described as “a versatile forward who can play both inside and out.” In addition to being able to shoot from outside or drive to the basket, Dolson also possesses excellent ball-handling skills that allow her to get past defenders with ease. Her ability to score at all three levels makes her one of the most dangerous players in the league.
Professional Career
Washington Mystics(2014-2017)
The Washington Mystics drafted Dolson in the 6th spot. Her UConn teammate Bria Hartley was drafted by the Seattle Storm and later traded to the Washington Mystics. In a triple-overtime victory against the Los Angeles Sparks on June 1, 2014, the duo of Dolson and Hartley combined for 34 points. In the 2015 WNBA season opener against the Connecticut Sun, she had a performance that stood out scoring 18 points and 12 rebounds in a winning effort. As a player in the starting lineup, Dolson continued to perform well in the 2016 season. She had a career-high 23 points in the win against New York Liberty.
Chicago Sky(2017-present)
The Chicago Sky acquired Dolson after three seasons with the Mystics. In her first game with the Sky, Dolson scored 9 points and had 2 rebounds in a 70–61 loss to the Minnesota Lynx. In a 75–71 victory over the Atlanta Dream on May 21, 2017, Dolson tied her career-high of 23 points, along with 8 rebounds and 5 blocks. Dolson scored a career-high 29 points in an 86–80 loss to the Phoenix Mercury two months later. The Sky finished with a 12-22 record and thus eliminated from playoff contention, despite the fact that Dolson averaged new career-highs in scoring and rebound. Dolson signed a multi-year deal with the Sky in February of 2018. The Sky finished the year with a 13–21 record.
International Career
Dolson played for the WBC Spartak Moscow Region in the off-season of the 2014-15 WNBA. In the off-season of 2015-16, Dolson played for Mersin Büyükşehir Belediyesi in Turkey. In the 2016-17 WNBA off-season, Dolson played in China for a team called the Sichuan Whale. The Italian League signed Dolson for the off-season of the 2017-18 WNBA. Dolson joined the Chinese League’s Henan Phoenix for the 2018-19 WNBA off-season.
Stefanie Dolson Awards
Dolson’s USA Basketball junior national teams won two gold medals at the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship and the 2011 FIBA U19 World Cup. At the University of Connecticut, she won two NCAA National Championships in her career. Also, The American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2013-14 and Senior CLASS Award winner was Dolson.
She is currently playing for the University of Connecticut Huskies Women’s Basketball team as well as being an active member of their coaching staff.
Dolson has been named one of ESPN’s Top 10 players under 25 years old since 2014. She also won the 2015 WBCA All-America first team award. In 2016 she became just the second UConn player ever to be selected by both the Associated Press and USA Today as a First Team All-American.
In 2021, Dolson was part of the USA team that won the first Olympic gold medal in 3×3 basketball. The gold medal game was between her team and the Russian Olympic Committee.
Net Worth and Salary
One of the wealthiest women basketball players is Stefanie Dolson. Various sources say Dolson has a net worth of $5 million. But, it is not known how much money she makes from her salary or endorsement deals. However, according to Forbes magazine, Dolson earned $1.2 million last year.
Dolson also makes a good amount of cash. Her net salary is close to $200,000 according to sources. She has some personal assets which include a Mercedes car and other cars. However, there are no reports saying what percentage of her earnings goes towards taxes.
Relationship Status
In the year 2021, Dolson is single but has been in a relationship before. Dolson came out as a member of the LGBTQ community in 2016. She talked about her sexuality in an interview with the sports magazine ESPN saying: “Not everyone in the WNBA needs to be out, but I feel called to lead an authentic life in the open. I know who I am and I don’t care if people judge me. I am 6-5, and I dye my hair purple and experiment a lot with fashion. My motto is: If they’re going to stare, they might as well stare at something fun. There are a lot of girls who struggle to be who they are. We need people who are out so that those girls know it’s OK to be themselves, regardless of stereotypes. By being open, I give them someone to look up to, and however they identify, I can inspire them to support equality and LGBT issues.”
According to reports, Dolson was in a relationship with her former partner Sharay Hall back in 2019. The player is concentrating on her career and not dating anyone as of 2021.
Brand Endorsements
Dolson may have been in an endorsement deal with the Nike brand since she posted photos of shoes that promoted style. She also promoted the sports goods manufacturing company, The Handlers Basketball in her social media handle.
Social Media Status
Stefanie Dolson is active in a number of social networking sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. A total of 4.3K people follow her on Facebook as of 2021. Plus, she has around 67.1K followers on Instagram and on Twitter, Dolson has more than 25.6M followers.
Stefanie Dolson Social Media Handles
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StefDolson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigmamastef
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigmamastef