Ann Hilde Willy Wauters (born 12 October 1980) is a Belgian former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player and coach, currently serving as an assistant coach for the

Chicago Sky The Chicago Sky are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Sky compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The franchise was founded prior to the 2 ...

in the

Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Nati ...

(WNBA). She played for numerous American and European professional teams, including the

Cleveland Rockers The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Cleveland, that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which started in 1997. The owner was Gordon G ...

US Valenciennes Olympic US Valenciennes Olympic (or USVO, previously ''Union Sportive Valenciennes-Orchies'') is a former French basketball team based in Valenciennes. It will be replaced by Union Hainaut Basket, because of the merging with Union Saint-Amand Porte d ...

, and the

San Antonio Silver Stars The San Antonio Stars were a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the Utah Starzz before the ...

. She won four EuroLeague championships and one WNBA Finals during her career. Her primary position was center.

Early life

Born in Sint-Gillis-Waas, Belgium, Wauters began playing basketball at age 12. Her international professional basketball career began immediately after high school. She speaks Dutch, French and English. She wears jersey No. 12 because of her birthdate.

Professional career

WNBA

Wauters was drafted first overall in the 2000 WNBA Draft by the

at the age of 19, becoming the youngest player in the league at the time. She was also the first Belgian-born player in the WNBA. When the team selected her, she was considered a project and raw talent. Having only played basketball for 7 years prior to the draft, Wauters quickly blended in with the big-name centers. In her rookie season, Wauters was a reserve on the Rockers' roster, averaging 6.7 ppg off the bench. The Rockers were second in the East with a 17–15 record, and were one win away from advancing to the Finals, but were defeated in 3 games by the

New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was ...

in the Conference Finals. After her second season, Wauters sat out the 2003 WNBA season in order to rest. The Rockers folded in 2003 and Wauters was moved to the

the following year in a dispersal draft. She played two seasons for the Liberty before taking another break from the WNBA in 2006. During her time with the Liberty, she was selected to play in the

2005 WNBA All-Star Game The 2005 WNBA All-Star Game was played on July 9, 2005 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, home of the Connecticut Sun. The game was the 6th annual WNBA All-Star Game. This was the first time Connecticut hosted the basketball showcase ...

as a reserve. In 2008, Wauters returned to the WNBA and was selected by the

Atlanta Dream The Atlanta Dream are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded for the 2008 WNBA season. The team is owned by real ...

in the expansion draft. On 9 April 2008, Wauters, along with

Morenike Atunrase Morenike Olayinka Atunrase (born April 14, 1986) is an American basketball player who played for the WNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars during the 2008 season. She was drafted in 2008 out of Texas A&M, where she played from 2004–08. Early years A ...

and a 2009 second round draft pick, was traded to the

for Camille Little,

Chioma Nnamaka Chioma Nnamaka (born June 15, 1985 in Uppsala, Sweden) is a Swedish professional female basketball player and a member of Sweden women's national basketball team. High school and college Nnamaka attended high school at Fryshusets Kunskaps Centrum ...

, and the Silver Stars' first round pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft. During her first season with the Silver Stars, she averaged a career-high 14.7 ppg as the team's starting center. Playing alongside Becky Hammon, the Silver Stars were also a championship contender in 2008, having finished first in the West with a 24–10 record and advancing all the way to the Finals but would get swept by the

Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006, and 2008 WNBA champions. Debuting in 1998, the Shock were one of the league's first expansion franchises. Th ...

. Wauters played for the Silver Stars once again in 2009, but decided not to rejoin the team in 2010 to take another break; she also did not join the team in 2011 as she became pregnant. In 2012, Wauters signed with the

Seattle Storm The Seattle Storm are an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The Storm competes in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was founded by Ginger Ackerl ...

. Wauters did not rejoin the Storm for the 2013 WNBA season in order to spend time with her family. After a 3-year break from the WNBA, Wauters signed with the

Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks (LA Sparks) are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was fou ...

in 2016 and won her first WNBA Championship with the team after defeating the

Minnesota Lynx The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017. Founded p ...

in the Finals.

Overseas

Throughout her basketball career, Wauters has gained more overseas experience than any other female player. Prior to her WNBA career, Wauters played in France for USV Olympic. After her rookie season in the WNBA, she played with the team for four more years during the off-season and won four consecutive championships. From 2004 to 2007, Wauters played in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

for VBM-SGAU and won a championship. From 2007 to 2009, Wauters played two off-seasons for CSKA Moscow. In the 2009–10 off-season, Wauters played for

UMMC Ekaterinburg BC Ekaterinburg (russian: БК «УГМК») is a Russian women's basketball team based in Yekaterinburg competing in the Russian Premier League, and until February 2022 in FIBA Europe's EuroLeague Women. In reaction to the 2022 Russian inv ...

and won a championship with the team. In the 2011–12 off-season, Wauters played in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

for

Ros Casares Valencia Ros Casares Godella was a professional women's basketball team based in Godella, Spain. It played in the Liga Femenina de Baloncesto between 1996 and 2012, when it resigned to play in EuroLeague and Spanish League. It continued playing in Primer ...

, winning two championships with the team. In the 2012–13 off-season, Wauters played in

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

for

Galatasaray S.K. Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club'') is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul in Turkey. Most notable for its association football department, the club also consists of various other de ...

and won a Turkish Cup with the team. In the 2013–14 off-season, Wauters returned to UMMC Ekaterinburg and won her second Russian League championship with the team. In the 2014–15 off-season, Wauters played in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

for ESB Villeneuve-d'Ascq, winning a EuroCup championship with the team. In the 2015–16 off-season, Wauters played in her home country for Royal Castors Braine in the first portion of the off-season and spent the second portion of the off-season playing for Galatasaray S.K. As of May 2016, Wauters signed with AGÜ Spor of the Turkish League for the 2016–17 off-season. In June 2017, Wauters signed with Yakin Dogu. She played for Kayseri Basketbol in the 2019–2020 season.

WNBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , 2000 , align="left" ,

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

, 32 , , 0 , , 18.7 , , .523 , , .000 , , .741 , , 4.0 , , 1.2 , , 0.6 , , 0.7 , , 1.9 , , 6.2 , - , align="left" ,

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...

, align="left" ,

, 24 , , 14 , , 25.9 , , .569 , , .000 , , .800 , , 4.8 , , 1.5 , , 0.7 , , 0.5 , , 2.0 , , 9.8 , - , align="left" ,

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

, align="left" ,

, 28 , , 25 , , 28.6 , , .553 , , .000 , , .851 , , 5.0 , , 1.4 , , 0.5 , , 0.7 , , 2.1, , 11.2 , - , align="left" ,

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...

, align="left" ,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, 13 , , 4 , , 20.8 , , .439 , , .333 , , .793 , , 3.1 , , 1.6 , , 0.3 , , 0.6 , , 1.6 , , 6.3 , - , align="left" ,

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...

, align="left" ,

, 28 , , 28 , , 31.4 , , .541 , , 1.000 , , .752 , , 6.6 , , 1.5 , , 0.6 , , 0.8 , , 2.5 , , 13.7 , - , align="left" ,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, align="left" ,

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...

, 32 , , 31 , , 30.6 , , .553 , , .355 , , .714 , , 7.5 , , 1.8 , , 1.1 , , 1.1 , , 2.1 , , 14.7 , - , align="left" ,

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...

, align="left" ,

, 17 , , 16 , , 27.2 , , .548 , , .167 , , .673 , , 5.6 , , 1.1 , , 0.7 , , 0.3 , , 2.5 , , 12.9 , - , align="left" ,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, align="left" ,

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...

, 25 , , 17 , , 23.0 , , .519 , , .450 , , .737 , , 5.8 , , 1.4 , , 0.5 , , 0.7 , , 2.2 , , 9.6 , - , align="left" , 2016 , align="left" ,

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, 21 , , 1 , , 4.6 , , .545 , , .000 , , .750 , , 1.1 , , 0.4 , , 0.1 , , 0.1 , , 0.3 , , 1.4 , - , align="left" , Career , align="left" , 9 years, 5 teams , 220 , , 136 , , 24.0 , , .536 , , .358 , , .759 , , 5.0 , , 1.3 , , 0.7 , , 0.7 , , 2.0 , , 9.9

Postseason

, - , align="left" , 2000 , align="left" ,

, 6 , , 0 , , 17.8 , , .481 , , .000 , , .333 , , 3.0, , 0.8 , , 0.5 , , 0.5 , , 1.3 , , 4.7 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" ,

, 3 , , 3 , , 28.7 , , .489 , , .000 , , .889 , , 3.3 , , 0.7 , , 0.6 , , 1.0 , , 1.3 , , 11.3 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" ,

, 9 , , 9 , , 33.3 , , .444 , , .083 , , .889 , , 5.8 , , 1.6 , , 0.6 , , 1.3 , , 1.8 , , 13.4 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" ,

, 3 , , 3 , , 27.3 , , .389 , , .000 , , .800 , , 7.7 , , 3.3 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.3 , , 10.7 , - , align="left" ,

, align="left" ,

, 3 , , 0 , , 12.7 , , .250 , , .000 , , .500 , , 2.3 , , 1.0 , , 0.3 , , 0.3 , , 0.0 , , 2.7 , - , align="left" , 2016 , align="left" ,

, 2 , , 0 , , 2.3 , , .500 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.5 , , 0.5 , , 1.0 , - , align="left" , Career , align="left" , 6 years, 4 teams , 26 , , 15 , , 23.8 , , .451 , , .067 , , .784 , , 4.3 , , 1.3 , , 0.5 , , 0.8 , , 1.3 , , 8.7

Coaching career

In January 2022, the

announced that they had hired Wauters as an assistant coach.

Personal life

In November 2010, Wauters' management announced she was 3 months pregnant with her first child, adding that this would not mean the end of her career. After the birth of her child, Wauters signed with

in Spain. Her wife, Lot Wielfaert, was also pregnant and gave birth a month before Wauters.

Awards and honors

Team

* EuroLeague Women: 2002, 2004, 2005, 2012 * FIBA Women's World League: 2004 * Ligue Féminine de Basketball: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 * Russian Women's Basketball Premier League: 2005, 2006, 2010 * Liga Femenina de Baloncesto:

Women's Korean Basketball League The Women's Korean Basketball League (WKBL) ( Hangul: 한국여자프로농구) is the premier professional women's basketball league in South Korea. The league was established in 1998. Current clubs See also * Korean Basketball League T ...

: 2006 *Belgian Championship: 2016 *

: 2016 *Coupe de France: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 *Russian Cup: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 *Turkish Cup: 2013

Individual

*European player of year: 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008 *EuroLeague Final Four MVP: 2001, 2002, 2004 *Best foreign player in France: 2001 *Best center of European championship in Greece: 2003 *WNBA All-Star 2005 *French Women's Basketball League's list of « 5 major » foreign players of the period 1998–2018

References

External links

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wauters, Ann 1980 births Living people Abdullah Gül Üniversitesi basketball players Atlanta Dream players Basketball players at the 2015 European Games Basketball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Belgian expatriate basketball people in France Belgian expatriate basketball people in Russia Belgian expatriate basketball people in Spain Belgian expatriate basketball people in Turkey Belgian expatriate basketball people in the United States Belgian women's basketball players Centers (basketball) Cleveland Rockers players European Games competitors for Belgium Galatasaray S.K. (women's basketball) players Lesbian sportswomen LGBT basketball players LGBT sportspeople from Belgium Los Angeles Sparks players New York Liberty players Olympic basketball players of Belgium People from Sint-Gillis-Waas Ros Casares Valencia players San Antonio Stars players Seattle Storm players Women's National Basketball Association All-Stars Women's National Basketball Association first-overall draft picks 21st-century LGBT people Sportspeople from East Flanders