Charlotte head women’s basketball coach Cara Consuegra has named Cait Wetmore as an assistant coach for the 49ers, beginning with the 2020-21 campaign. Wetmore’s addition rounds out Consuegra’s staff for the season.
CONSUEGRA QUOTE ON WETMORE
“I am very excited to welcome Cait to our team and the Charlotte 49ers community,” Consuegra said. “During the interview process, Cait quickly rose to the top because of her stellar reputation as a coach and recruiter. However, it is her character and values that assured me she is the right person to join our Niner family.
“As a rising star in this profession, Cait will immediately impact our program with her basketball knowledge, player development skills, and most importantly, she will help us continue to grow and empower women leaders of the future.”
RECENT COACHING EXPERIENCE
Wetmore spent six seasons up the road in Greensboro at UNCG, including the first five (2014-15 through 2018-19) as an assistant coach before being elevated to the associate head coach role with the Spartans in 2019-20.
The program shared the 2020 Southern Conference regular-season crown with a 10-4 mark. Included in the overall success, which saw UNCG post a league-best 23-9 record, was a road win over Wake Forest, a nine-game win streak and a trip to the conference tournament final.
She served in multiple roles with the squad, including overseeing the defense as the defensive coordinator, designing and executing all out-of-bounds plays and the development of the perimeter players as she worked mostly with the guards.
One of her standout players, Nadine Soliman, capped her career as the SoCon Player of the Year after starting as the SoCon Freshman of the Year. A four-year member of the all-league teams, Soliman graduated in 2020 as UNCG’s all-time leading scorer with 2,084 points. She holds three program records.
Lucy Mason, the school’s previous career points record holder, also had a productive career under Wetmore’s guidance, pouring in 1,907 points and earning All-SoCon First Team accolades as a senior in 2015.
Defense has become her hallmark, as the Spartans set the standard across the conference in 2019-20 and their scoring defense, which allowed just 55.3 points per game, placed 16th in the NCAA rankings. The squad thrived on the defensive end, topping the SoCon in field goal percentage defense (36.8), scoring defense, scoring margin (+8.7) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.3) in addition to being the league standard-bearer for field goal percentage (42.9) and free throw percentage (77.1).
She spent time as UNCG’s recruiting coordinator, as well, inking a pair of McDonald’s All-American Game nominees: Alexus Willey and Mangela Ngandjui.
WETMORE QUOTE
“I am thrilled to join Cara Consuegra and the Charlotte basketball family,” Wetmore said. “Coach Consuegra is a proven winner and has sustained a high level of success with the 49er program. She has cultivated a positive culture focused on development, support and togetherness of which I am excited to be a part. She is one of the top recruiters in the state and I can’t wait to get on the court and work with this talented group.”
PREVIOUS COACHING EXPERIENCE
Wetmore started her coaching history as a graduate assistant at Columbia in the Ivy League in 2010-11 and 2011-12. While with the Lions, she assisted in player development, practice and game strategies, scouting and film breakdown.
She then returned to her alma mater, Adelphi for two seasons, helping the Panthers to their most wins since 2006-07 with 15 in her first year. The program reached the NE-10 postseason for the first time, including a win in the tournament, since joining the conference in 2009.
Adelphi had a major step forward her second year in 2013-14 when it advanced to the NCAA regional semifinals after it reached the NE-10 Conference championship game. The No. 1 seed in the league tournament, the Panthers finished the campaign with a 23-8 mark and a top-15 national ranking.
She handled player development, strength and conditioning, opponent scouts, practice preparation, academic advising and recruiting at her alma mater.
RECOGNITION AND HONORS
Wetmore has accumulated several honors throughout her coaching career, including being a Top Connect (formerly Villa 7) selection in 2020, a WBCA Next Up honoree in 2019 and named to the WBCA 30 Under 30 in 2017.
PLAYING CAREER
Wetmore played four years at Adelphi, including serving as a two-year captain. She was the recipient of the program’s Mary Ann Beaudry Memorial Award for exemplary leadership in 2009 and was a two-time member of the East Coast Conference All-Academic Team.
She helped the Panthers receive a pair of WBCA Academic Top 25 honors as a member of the Dean’s List each of her eight semesters.
EDUCATION
Wetmore graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She added a master’s degree from Columbia in 2012 in clinical social work.
