Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Brown on February 13, 2026 , Loss , 51, to, 58
Final
Women's Basketball
at Brown
51
58
Spotlight on Kristen Craft
2/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Dara Ely
“Coach Wielgus and I....we've come a long way. We are both strong people, but we understand each other and we are both very passionate about what we are doing. When I came in I knew I had to somehow make Coach believe in me from freshman year to senior year...”
“Craft and I have four things in common: we both love the game of basketball, we are both relatively stubborn, we both speak our minds and we both care about this more than is probably good for either one of us.”
And that very relationship almost never had the chance to blossom.
Four years ago Kristen Craft didn't even know what Dartmouth was, where it was or what it wanted to do with her. When the Iowan who had not yet chosen a college received a recruiting phone call from the Big Green in the late fall of her senior year, the courtship was essentially nonexistent. “I could not see myself at an Ivy League school and I knew they did not give scholarships, so I just said no,” recalled Craft. “I knew I'd be a late recruit who got on a team when there were extra spots left which was fine with me, I knew something would work out.”
Craft expected that like most of her large extended family, she would go to school and play basketball in Iowa or at furthest one of the surrounding states. But as the year wore on, the idea of Dartmouth crept back into the forefront and Craft decided to reconnect with the school. Things progressed quickly and she fell in love with the school on her official visit, applied, was accepted and committed ? all in April. The support and encouragement of her parents played a big role in the process for Craft. “It was probably the best decision of my life to leave home and have these new experiences,” she said.
Basketball was in the blood for Craft, whose parents and brothers played the sport, most notably her mother, Terri, who played at Iowa State and coached at Northern Iowa. Craft essentially grew up in the gym, spending her early years alongside her mom at UNI practices. When she was in seventh grade, her family moved to Marshalltown where her mother coached the successful women's team at the Community College. Craft spent many of her formative years around that team, an experience that focused her on the goal of playing college basketball. Remarkably, she still excelled at four sports in high school and thrived on both the competition and balance.
That work ethic, self-awareness and a game plan for the next phase of her life, came with Craft to Hanover in the fall of 2004.
“Craft came in here and right away understood the team dynamic and the nature of competition better than most people do,” said Head Coach Chris Wielgus. “She arrived here believing in the team coming first and that hasn't happened very often. She understood that she needed to find her role and find a way to contribute and I definitely attribute that a lot to her mom's influence.”
Craft walked into Leede Arena with the right attitude for what would prove a formidable task ahead ? making the personal transition to Division I basketball while helping the team any way she could. “I came to Dartmouth knowing that I was not going to play right away and I kept the mentality that I needed to learn,” said Craft. “I knew I was a good athlete and knew certain things about my game and I was tested on those things. Freshman year is difficult - going from being really good in high school to being at the bottom of the team.”
Nothing was handed to Craft, who joined a team with a stacked backcourt including Dartmouth greats Jeannie Cullen '06, Angie Soriaga '06 and Ashley Taylor '07 ? a trio of first team All-Ivy players. She played a total of just 70 minutes in 14 games her rookie season, but it was all part of her plan. Craft learned a lot about herself and her game by playing with her experienced teammates early in her career. “I worked so hard in practice and it was fun,” said Craft. “I guarded Angie a lot and looked at it as ?I'm working on my defense and getting better'.”
Her attention to detail and ability to focus on the small things earned Craft both the respect of her coaches and playing time as a sophomore. She checked into 25 games off the bench and was Dartmouth's seventh man by the time Ivy play rolled around. “Sophomore year I learned that if I listened to the coaches and did what they asked me to do, I would be rewarded for it,” said Craft. “Coach would say ?get the ball to the post' or ?keep that girl from scoring' and I made it my point to do it.”
Next came the “sophomore summer” in Hanover, during which Craft worked endlessly on her ball-handling and court vision in preparation to run the point for the Big Green. “Going into my junior year, I knew I had the opportunity,” said Craft. “I had waited my turn for that and I knew I was going to play because I knew that I was going to work hard enough to earn it.” Craft moved into a starting role as a junior, tripling her playing time and her offensive production. Even then, she kept it in perspective, knowing what was going to be expected of her ? take care of the ball, get it to the right people, play defense and score. The result was an average of 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game along with 44 assists and 34 steals.
As a senior, Craft is Dartmouth's third leading scorer, averaging 8.6 points along with 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. She delivers a gutsy, hard-nosed brand of basketball, playing each possession as though she were still fighting for her time instead of logging a team-high 32 minutes per game. While humble, the co-captain knows that she developed at the right pace for herself. “It feels like the model of growth for a player,” noted Craft. “I contributed more each season than I did the previous one and I think that should happen for everybody, even if you are starting your freshman year.”
Wielgus values the learning process and knows that Craft's journey through perseverance and self-awareness has had a special impact on the five freshmen and three sophomores on the current team. She is her own harshest critic but a consummate teammate, quick to judge herself before others. “It's like the good guys really do finish first,” Wielgus noted. “Craft is a good person, a good worker and she loves this team and got what she wanted out of this experience through her own hard work.”
The fire-plug point guard and her veteran coach have not always shared the same opinions, but there has been constant respect and trust between the two. Each values the give and take of the relationship and the mutual growth that has accompanied it. “Craft is a straight shooter and even when she was young I knew she would always give me a straight answer ? even when it wasn't what I wanted to hear or when I hadn't asked the question,” said Wielgus. “When I think of all the great players that have come through this program, she is right there with them because of the journey - where she was when she arrived and where she will be when she leaves.”
Craft, who will graduate with a degree in psychology, won't find her name in the Big Green's record books, but she'll leave an indelible legacy in the hearts of her teammates who both adore and respect her as the hub of their team. The joy in their faces was palpable in the first game of this season when Dartmouth brought its captain home to play at the University of Iowa. A beaming Craft played a full 40 minutes and her team, while unable to pull off the upset, put on a good showing before a large, boisterous contingency of her friends and family.
With a 3-1 start in Ivy play after a grueling non-conference slate, Craft believes the lessons the Big Green has learned in both its finest hours and lowest defeats will help her squad in its quest for a third Ivy title in four years. Looking back fondly on the Ivy Championships won during her freshman and sophomore seasons, she relishes the opportunity to bring home a title that, as a senior, would truly be her own.
“This is a special program and I understand the importance of being a part of it and winning Ivy Championships. I know that I am fortunate to be in this position but it wasn't just luck because I worked hard for everything...It's something a lot of people don't get to experience.”
“Dartmouth is a much better place because Kristen Craft decided four years ago, in April, to come here. I will miss seeing her every day, her love and passion for the game of basketball, her work ethic and her ?yes I can' attitude...She would never be denied the opportunity to play this game she loves.”
“Coach Wielgus and I....we've come a long way. We are both strong people, but we understand each other and we are both very passionate about what we are doing. When I came in I knew I had to somehow make Coach believe in me from freshman year to senior year...”
“Craft and I have four things in common: we both love the game of basketball, we are both relatively stubborn, we both speak our minds and we both care about this more than is probably good for either one of us.”
And that very relationship almost never had the chance to blossom.
Four years ago Kristen Craft didn't even know what Dartmouth was, where it was or what it wanted to do with her. When the Iowan who had not yet chosen a college received a recruiting phone call from the Big Green in the late fall of her senior year, the courtship was essentially nonexistent. “I could not see myself at an Ivy League school and I knew they did not give scholarships, so I just said no,” recalled Craft. “I knew I'd be a late recruit who got on a team when there were extra spots left which was fine with me, I knew something would work out.”
Craft expected that like most of her large extended family, she would go to school and play basketball in Iowa or at furthest one of the surrounding states. But as the year wore on, the idea of Dartmouth crept back into the forefront and Craft decided to reconnect with the school. Things progressed quickly and she fell in love with the school on her official visit, applied, was accepted and committed ? all in April. The support and encouragement of her parents played a big role in the process for Craft. “It was probably the best decision of my life to leave home and have these new experiences,” she said.
Basketball was in the blood for Craft, whose parents and brothers played the sport, most notably her mother, Terri, who played at Iowa State and coached at Northern Iowa. Craft essentially grew up in the gym, spending her early years alongside her mom at UNI practices. When she was in seventh grade, her family moved to Marshalltown where her mother coached the successful women's team at the Community College. Craft spent many of her formative years around that team, an experience that focused her on the goal of playing college basketball. Remarkably, she still excelled at four sports in high school and thrived on both the competition and balance.
That work ethic, self-awareness and a game plan for the next phase of her life, came with Craft to Hanover in the fall of 2004.
“Craft came in here and right away understood the team dynamic and the nature of competition better than most people do,” said Head Coach Chris Wielgus. “She arrived here believing in the team coming first and that hasn't happened very often. She understood that she needed to find her role and find a way to contribute and I definitely attribute that a lot to her mom's influence.”
Craft walked into Leede Arena with the right attitude for what would prove a formidable task ahead ? making the personal transition to Division I basketball while helping the team any way she could. “I came to Dartmouth knowing that I was not going to play right away and I kept the mentality that I needed to learn,” said Craft. “I knew I was a good athlete and knew certain things about my game and I was tested on those things. Freshman year is difficult - going from being really good in high school to being at the bottom of the team.”
Nothing was handed to Craft, who joined a team with a stacked backcourt including Dartmouth greats Jeannie Cullen '06, Angie Soriaga '06 and Ashley Taylor '07 ? a trio of first team All-Ivy players. She played a total of just 70 minutes in 14 games her rookie season, but it was all part of her plan. Craft learned a lot about herself and her game by playing with her experienced teammates early in her career. “I worked so hard in practice and it was fun,” said Craft. “I guarded Angie a lot and looked at it as ?I'm working on my defense and getting better'.” Her attention to detail and ability to focus on the small things earned Craft both the respect of her coaches and playing time as a sophomore. She checked into 25 games off the bench and was Dartmouth's seventh man by the time Ivy play rolled around. “Sophomore year I learned that if I listened to the coaches and did what they asked me to do, I would be rewarded for it,” said Craft. “Coach would say ?get the ball to the post' or ?keep that girl from scoring' and I made it my point to do it.”
Next came the “sophomore summer” in Hanover, during which Craft worked endlessly on her ball-handling and court vision in preparation to run the point for the Big Green. “Going into my junior year, I knew I had the opportunity,” said Craft. “I had waited my turn for that and I knew I was going to play because I knew that I was going to work hard enough to earn it.” Craft moved into a starting role as a junior, tripling her playing time and her offensive production. Even then, she kept it in perspective, knowing what was going to be expected of her ? take care of the ball, get it to the right people, play defense and score. The result was an average of 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game along with 44 assists and 34 steals.
As a senior, Craft is Dartmouth's third leading scorer, averaging 8.6 points along with 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. She delivers a gutsy, hard-nosed brand of basketball, playing each possession as though she were still fighting for her time instead of logging a team-high 32 minutes per game. While humble, the co-captain knows that she developed at the right pace for herself. “It feels like the model of growth for a player,” noted Craft. “I contributed more each season than I did the previous one and I think that should happen for everybody, even if you are starting your freshman year.”
Wielgus values the learning process and knows that Craft's journey through perseverance and self-awareness has had a special impact on the five freshmen and three sophomores on the current team. She is her own harshest critic but a consummate teammate, quick to judge herself before others. “It's like the good guys really do finish first,” Wielgus noted. “Craft is a good person, a good worker and she loves this team and got what she wanted out of this experience through her own hard work.”
The fire-plug point guard and her veteran coach have not always shared the same opinions, but there has been constant respect and trust between the two. Each values the give and take of the relationship and the mutual growth that has accompanied it. “Craft is a straight shooter and even when she was young I knew she would always give me a straight answer ? even when it wasn't what I wanted to hear or when I hadn't asked the question,” said Wielgus. “When I think of all the great players that have come through this program, she is right there with them because of the journey - where she was when she arrived and where she will be when she leaves.”
Craft, who will graduate with a degree in psychology, won't find her name in the Big Green's record books, but she'll leave an indelible legacy in the hearts of her teammates who both adore and respect her as the hub of their team. The joy in their faces was palpable in the first game of this season when Dartmouth brought its captain home to play at the University of Iowa. A beaming Craft played a full 40 minutes and her team, while unable to pull off the upset, put on a good showing before a large, boisterous contingency of her friends and family.
With a 3-1 start in Ivy play after a grueling non-conference slate, Craft believes the lessons the Big Green has learned in both its finest hours and lowest defeats will help her squad in its quest for a third Ivy title in four years. Looking back fondly on the Ivy Championships won during her freshman and sophomore seasons, she relishes the opportunity to bring home a title that, as a senior, would truly be her own.
“This is a special program and I understand the importance of being a part of it and winning Ivy Championships. I know that I am fortunate to be in this position but it wasn't just luck because I worked hard for everything...It's something a lot of people don't get to experience.”
“Dartmouth is a much better place because Kristen Craft decided four years ago, in April, to come here. I will miss seeing her every day, her love and passion for the game of basketball, her work ethic and her ?yes I can' attitude...She would never be denied the opportunity to play this game she loves.”
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
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