Stefanie Dolson Bio
Stefanie Marie Dolson is an American professional basketball player known for her size, footwork, and three-point shooting range as a center. She plays for the Seattle Storm of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) after signing as a free agent on April 12, 2026. A two-time NCAA champion at the University of Connecticut (UConn), Dolson has built a career that spans the WNBA, top leagues in Europe and Asia, the U.S. 3×3 national team, and the inaugural Unrivaled league.
Standing 6 ft 5 in and listed at 235 lb, Dolson combines traditional post play with a modern stretch-five skill set. Her résumé includes a WNBA title, an Olympic gold medal in 3×3 basketball, and championships in both college and European competition.
Early Life and Background
Stefanie Marie Dolson was born on January 8, 1992, in Port Jervis, New York, and raised in nearby Slate Hill, New York. She is the daughter of Steve and Kristal Dolson and grew up with two older sisters, Ashley and Courtney, and a younger brother, Jake. She is a descendant of James Dolson, a 17th-century Minisink-area settler and beaver pelt trader for whom a major commercial roadway is now named.
At Minisink Valley High School, Dolson played both volleyball and basketball and was a member of the National Honor Society. She led the basketball team to four straight Section 9 championship game appearances and finished her high school career with 1,951 points and 1,607 rebounds. As a senior she averaged 22.8 points, 17.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 5.2 blocks per game, earning McDonald’s All-American honors after posting 12 points and eight rebounds in the All-American Game.
Path to Basketball
Dolson’s path to the professional ranks began in UConn’s recruiting class of 2010, where she joined a program with a deep tradition of post players. Her size and skill in the paint made her an immediate contributor as a freshman, averaging 10.2 points and 6.1 rebounds in 2010-11. She was named to the Big East All-Tournament Team and to the Big East Rookie Team alongside UConn teammate Bria Hartley.
As a sophomore, Dolson started regularly and delivered 20 points in a Final Four overtime loss to Notre Dame, signaling her growth as a big-game performer. Her junior year brought a leap in production, with 13.6 points and a team-leading 7.1 rebounds per game, an All-Big East First Team selection, and the first of two NCAA titles. By her senior season she had developed into one of the nation’s elite two-way centers, capping her college career with a 40-0 record, a second national championship, and a place in the UConn Huskies of Honor.
Stefanie Dolson Career
Early Career (2014-2016)
The Washington Mystics selected Stefanie Marie Dolson with the sixth overall pick of the 2014 WNBA draft. She opened her pro career with a triple-overtime win over the Los Angeles Sparks on June 1, 2014, recording her first double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. Her first career start came on August 14, 2014, a 12-point, 10-rebound effort against the Chicago Sky.
In 2015, Dolson reached the WNBA All-Star Game as a reserve and set new career-high averages in scoring and rebounding, helping the Mystics to the playoffs. She peaked in 2016 with a career-high 23 points in a win over the New York Liberty, but Washington finished 13-21 and missed the postseason. Across her three seasons in Washington, Dolson also began her overseas career, playing in Russia for WBC Spartak Moscow Region in 2014-15 and in Turkey for Edirne Belediyesi Edirnespor BK in 2015-16.
Chicago Sky Breakthrough (2017-2021)
After three seasons in Washington, Dolson was traded to the Chicago Sky in the deal that sent Elena Delle Donne to the Mystics. She debuted for Chicago on May 14, 2017, and tied her career high with 23 points on May 21, 2017, adding a career-high five blocks in a win over the Atlanta Dream. Later that summer she set a new career high with 29 points against the Phoenix Mercury and earned her second WNBA All-Star selection. She finished 2017 with career-best averages of 14.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Dolson re-signed with the Sky on a multi-year deal in February 2018 and again on a two-year deal in February 2020. In the 2021 WNBA season, she helped Chicago win its first WNBA championship, completing the most significant team achievement of her career. During her time in Chicago she also played overseas in Italy for Dike Basket Napoli in 2017-18 and in China for the Henan Phoenix in 2018-19.
New York Liberty Era (2022-2023)
On February 3, 2022, Dolson signed a two-year guaranteed contract with the New York Liberty, returning to the state where she grew up. In 2022 she started all 36 regular-season games and all three playoff games, helping New York reach the postseason. The Liberty added frontcourt stars Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones the following year, and a combination of the deeper roster and an ankle injury reduced Dolson’s playing time in 2023.
Despite the reduced role, Dolson reached the WNBA Finals for the second time in her career with the Liberty in 2023, falling 1-3 to the Las Vegas Aces. In between WNBA seasons, she won a EuroLeague championship with Sopron Basket in 2022, and in 2023 she also won the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup with New York.
Washington Mystics Return (2024-2025)
On February 14, 2024, Stefanie Marie Dolson signed a two-year contract to return to the Washington Mystics, the team that had drafted her a decade earlier. In her second stint she leaned into her three-point shooting, playing a stretch four or stretch five role. That work paid off with an invitation to the 2024 WNBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Contest. On August 17, 2024, she tied a WNBA record by making six three-pointers without a miss in a loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
Across the 2024 and 2025 seasons with Washington, Dolson continued to provide veteran leadership, perimeter shooting, and connective play in the frontcourt. On the overseas side, she signed with ASVEL Féminin in France for 2024-25, extending a career that has included stops in Russia, Turkey, China, Italy, and Hungary.
Driving Style and Strengths
Dolson is a 6 ft 5 in center whose game blends traditional post play with modern perimeter skills. She sets solid screens, rolls hard to the rim, and has expanded her range to a reliable three-point shot, especially in her later WNBA seasons. Her court vision, willingness to pass out of double teams, and willingness to defend on the perimeter make her a fit for up-tempo systems.
Notable Events and Milestones
Her signature achievements include back-to-back NCAA championships at UConn in 2013 and 2014, a WNBA title with the Chicago Sky in 2021, an Olympic gold medal in 3×3 basketball at the 2020 Tokyo Games, and a EuroLeague championship with Sopron Basket in 2022. The six made three-pointers without a miss in 2024 and her 2024 WNBA Three-Point Contest appearance stand as milestones of her shooting evolution.
Stefanie Dolson Career Wins
Stefanie Marie Dolson has won championships at nearly every level she has played. Her résumé features two NCAA titles with UConn, a WNBA championship with the Chicago Sky, a EuroLeague crown with Sopron Basket, a WNBA Commissioner’s Cup with the New York Liberty in 2023, and an Olympic gold medal in 3×3 basketball at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
NCAA Highlights
Dolson helped UConn to a 144-11 record over four seasons with four Final Four appearances. She started on the 2013 NCAA championship team as a junior and led the Huskies to a perfect 40-0 record and the 2014 NCAA title as a senior, when she was also named National Defensive Player of the Year.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond her WNBA and NCAA titles, Dolson won a EuroLeague championship with Sopron Basket in 2022 and a WNBA Commissioner’s Cup with the New York Liberty in 2023. She added an Olympic gold medal in 3×3 basketball in 2021 and won a 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship and a 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship with USA Basketball.
Stefanie Dolson Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Stefanie Marie Dolson is the daughter of Steve and Kristal Dolson and has two older sisters, Ashley and Courtney, and a younger brother, Jake. She is a descendant of James Dolson, a 17th-century Minisink-area settler and beaver pelt trader, and she is the first in her immediate family to reach the highest levels of professional basketball.
Personal Life
Dolson grew up in Slate Hill, New York, and later lived in cities across the United States and abroad while playing overseas. In 2016 she publicly came out as gay in an interview with ESPN Magazine, saying she wanted to lead an authentic life and serve as a visible role model for young athletes. Off the court she is active on social media under the nickname Big Mama Stef.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 WNBA season marked the second year of Stefanie Marie Dolson’s return to the Washington Mystics. She continued to space the floor as a stretch five, providing three-point shooting and veteran decision-making alongside a younger Mystics frontcourt. Her earlier 2024 three-point barrage carried over as a useful offensive wrinkle, and her experience in high-leverage playoff games helped stabilize the locker room.
On the international stage, Dolson suited up for ASVEL Féminin in France during the 2024-25 WNBA off-season, adding another chapter to an overseas career that already spans Russia, Turkey, China, Italy, and Hungary. She also joined the Laces for the inaugural 2025 season of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, embracing a faster, smaller-court format during the WNBA off-season.
Heading into the rest of 2025, Dolson remained a respected veteran whose combination of size, shooting touch, and championship experience keeps her in demand at every level of the game. With free agency looming in 2026, her play in 2025 positioned her to land a new WNBA home and helped set the stage for her April 2026 signing with the Seattle Storm.