Wendi Wells (néeWillits born November 18, 1978) is a girls basketball high school head coach inShawnee, Oklahoma since 2008. Before starting her head coaching tenure, Willits had 3,345 points while playing high school basketball inFort Cobb, Oklahoma. With theArkansas Razorbacks women's basketball team from 1997 to 2001, Willits had 1574 points and set an Arkansas career record with 316three-pointers. As part of the Razorbacks, Willits and her team reached thefinal four during the1998 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament and won the 1999Women's National Invitation Tournament. After joining theLos Angeles Sparks in 2001, Willits and the team won the2001 WNBA Championship. As an assistant coach, Willits worked for theUniversity of West Georgia and Shawnee High School in the early to late 2000s.
Wendi Willits was born inChickasha,Oklahoma on November 18, 1978.[1] During her childhood, Willits started playing basketball as a toddler and grew up inFort Cobb, Oklahoma.[2] At Fort Cobb-Broxton, Willits played in 128 girls basketball games and scored 3,345 points. During her final year in high school, Willits was named player of the year byThe Oklahoman in 1997.[3] For her post-secondary education, Willits went to theUniversity of Arkansas to studyexercise physiology.[2]
While at Arkansas from 1997 to 2001, Willits played on theArkansas Razorbacks women's basketball team.[4] In college tournaments, Willits and the Razorbacks made it to thefinal four at the1998 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament and won the 1999Women's National Invitation Tournament.[5][6] During her 131 games with the Razorbacks, Willits had 1574 points overall. Leading up to the 2020-2021 season, Willits was seventh in all-time career points for Arkansas.[7] With 316three-pointers, Willits has held the Arkansas career record for almost twenty years.[8] She also received the Ed Steitz Award in 1999 for having the highest three point percentage inNCAA Division I schools.[9]
Source[10]
| Legend | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MIN | Minutes | MPG | Minutes per game |
| PTS | Points | PPG | Points per game | RBS | Rebounds | RPG | Rebounds per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | Field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage | ||
| APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Min | MPG | Points | PPG | RBS | RPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | APG | SPG | BPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-98 | Arkansas | 33 | 5 | 622 | 18.8 | 223 | 6.8 | 66 | 2.0 | 34.3% | 35.6% | 76.7% | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| 1998-99 | Arkansas | 33 | 32 | 1001 | 30.3 | 470 | 14.2 | 110 | 3.3 | 46.0% | 46.0% | 80.5% | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.2 |
| 1999-00 | Arkansas | 32 | 30 | 1108 | 34.6 | 451 | 14.1 | 96 | 3.0 | 40.3% | 39.7% | 85.1% | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| 2000-01 | Arkansas | 33 | 30 | 1056 | 32 | 430 | 13 | 101 | 3.1 | 37.9% | 40.5% | 83.3% | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| Career | 131 | 97 | 3787 | 39 | 1574 | 12 | 373 | 2.8 | 40.1% | 41.0% | 81.8% | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.2 |
In 2001, Willits started herWNBA career when she joined theLos Angeles Sparks.[11] During her only season with the Sparks, Willits played in thirteen regular season games and had seventeen points.[12] That season, Willits played in four playoffs games and scored zero points.[13] Of her playoff games, Willits played in the2001 WNBA Championship where she and the Sparks defeated theCharlotte Sting.[14][15] After being let go by the Sparks, Willits moved toFlorida for employment.[16]
After leaving the WNBA, Willits started her assistant coaching tenure with theUniversity of West Georgia in 2003. After leaving for Shawnee High School in 2006, Willits continued her assistant coaching tenure until 2008.[17] In December 2008, Wendi Wells began her girls basketball head coaching experience with Swahnee.[18] During her head coach tenure, Wells won her hundredth game in 2013.[19] Leading up to the 2020-2021 season, Wells had 194 wins and 50 losses with Shawnee.[20]
Wells is married and has one child.[16]