Julianna Wadsworth
Women's Basketball Athlete (2014-2016)
• Two-time All-ISCC, All-Region and NJCAA All-American performer
• Led back-to-back Region championship and National Tournament qualifying teams
• Chiefs’ all-time leader in scoring, steals, free throws and field goals made
At first glance, Julianna Wadsworth’s game didn’t appear that exceptional or flashy. But in time her all-around skills and instincts became evident as she consistently beat opponents at both ends of the floor. Called “Jukaa” by her teammates, she holds Waubonsee’s career records for scoring with 1,211 points and steals with 241 and is the only two-time NJCAA All-American in program history. To some, that level of success for the Oswego East High School graduate came as a surprise. What they didn’t know was that Wadsworth, through hard work the summer before her freshman year at Waubonsee, had improved her outside shooting touch and transformed herself into a lethal scoring threat anywhere on the court.
As the lone freshman starter in 2014-15, Wadsworth averaged 17.1 points per game and broke the Chiefs’ single-season mark for points with 583. A First Team All-Skyway and All-Region selection, she also averaged 7.8 rebounds and 4.5 steals, finishing third nationally among Division II players with 118 steals. In the post-season the 5’9” forward elevated her game. Wadsworth was named the Region 4 Tournament Most Valuable Player, averaging 23 points a game to lead Waubonsee to the Region title and a berth in the NJCAA National Tournament for the first time ever. She then set a tournament record for free throws in a game with 16 in a win over North Arkansas as the undersized and unranked Chiefs went on to finish 11th nationally. Wadsworth was subsequently tabbed a Third Team All-American.
The following year, with an entirely new cast of teammates, Wadsworth excelled even more. She averaged 20.3 points and eclipsed her own single season mark with 628 points. Wadsworth also grabbed 6.6 rebounds, handed out 4.5 assists and recorded 4 steals per game while shooting 86 percent from the foul line. She finished the season among the top 10 players nationally in scoring, steals and free throw percentage on the way to being named a Second Team All-American. Wadsworth was chosen the Skyway Conference Player of the Year in leading the Chiefs to an undefeated (14-0) league title. Waubonsee then captured the Region championship and returned to the National Tournament. The Chiefs again placed 11th in the nation, finished 27-9 overall to establish a new program record for wins in a season while putting together a program record 18-game winning streak.
Her outstanding season was recognized by the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee with her jersey being displayed in their annual “Ring of Honor” throughout the rest of 2016. Not surprisingly, Wadsworth was a unanimous choice as Waubonsee’s Female Athlete of the Year for the 2015-2016 school year. When Wadsworth took her Chiefs’ uniform off for the final time, she held 20 program records, many of which still stand. Among them are most points in a quarter with 22, career free throws made with 267, steals in a game with 10, steals in a season with 123, field goals made in a game with 18 and career field goals with 453. Wadsworth is also fourth in career assists with 256.
Wadsworth went on to play at NCAA Division II affiliate Missouri Southern State University where she was a two-year starter for the Lions. She earned a bachelor’s degree in health science with a minor in business management in 2018. Wadsworth currently works for Memphis City Cartage and Chasers LLC in South Holland as an HR/Recruiting manager covering seven locations, and lives in Chicago.