Outlook

Kara Stricklin is a volume scoring wing that has shown the ability to take over a game and shown the ability to make shots in the biggest moments. ... An extremely dedicated athlete.

Career
Part the greatest two-year runs in program history, helping JCCC to a record of 68-2, two undefeated regular seasons, two undefeated conference championship seasons, two NJCAA Division II Tournament appearances with a national championship in 2024-25 and a third-place finish in 2025-26 and No. 2 and No. 1 ranking in the final NJCAA D-II Poll … Finished her career with 654 points, an average of 9.5 per game … Made 131 3-point field goals, 11^th most in team history … Also made 41.7 percent of the 3-point shot attempts, seventh-best at JCCC, and her had the second-best career percentage at the free throw line at 83.0 percent … At the national tournament, scored 70 points over two tournament, ranking 10^th all-time … Also ranks tied for fourth in made 3-point baskets in tournament play (15), 12^th for made field goals (23) and 3-point field goal accuracy (.455) and tied for 21^st in assists (11).

Sophomore Year 2025-26
Helped JCCC secure a second straight undefeated regular season in program history, finishing 30-0 … The Cavaliers would finish the season as KJCCC D-II champions, Region 6 champions, earn the No. 1 seed at the NJCAA Division II National Tournament where they would finish in third-place with an overall record of 35-1, establishing a new team records for victories and best winning percentage … Named to the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Division II second-team and All-Region 6 second-team … Selected the KJCCC D-II Player of the Week in week 13 … Played in and started in 35 games … Averaged 10.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists … Was second on the team and third in the conference with 66 made 3-point baskets … Led the conference and ranked 18^th in NJCAA D-II in 3-point field goal accuracy at 40.2 percent … Also ranked third in the conference and 37^th nationally in assists with 118 … Scored in double figures in 17 games and was the leading scorer in four games … Topped double digits in rebounds twice which produced two double-doubles … Was the team’s game leader in rebounds twice, assists eight times and steals in three games … Made 4-of-6 shot, all three 3-point attempts and four free throws attempts for 15 points along with six assists in a 103-59 romp over Bethany JV (11-4-25) … Knocked down three 3-pointers to post 13 points and six assists in a 99-28 blowout over Southwestern (11-8-25) … Finished with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting with a pari of 3-pointers in a 107-35 win over Sauk Valley (11-29-25) … Got hot the final 12 games of the season, finishing in double digits scoring in nine of the contest, with three games of 20+ points scored … Began that streak with a game and season-high 25 points in a 108-39 blasting of Highland (2-7-26) … Hit 9-of-12 shots including 5-of-7 from beyond the 3-point line … Also had six assists and five boards … Again hit five 3-pointers for a game-high 20 points and seven rebounds in a 93-62 win at Labette (2-14-26) … Followed with 10 points and a season-high four steals in an 81-244 win over Fort Scott (2-18-26) … Was 8-of-13 from the field and 5-of-9 from 3-point range for 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to post her first career double-double in an 81-72 win at Allen to help JCCC secure another undefeated regular season (2-25-26) … Tallied 17 points to help JCCC to an 82-54 win over Neosho County to win the Region 6 Championship and bunch the team’s ticket to the NJCAA D-II National Tournament (3-7-26) … Opened the national tournament with seven points and nine rebounds in an 83-58 win over No. 21 Cleveland (3-17-26) … In the quarterfinals knocked down four 3-pointers to finish with 13 points in a narrow 79-77 win over No. 11 North Iowa Area (3-19-26) … Led JCCC with 18 points and had five boards in a 77-66 victory over No. 4 Illinois Central, securing a third-place finish for the Cavaliers in the tournament (3-21-26) … Tallied 43 points and 18 rebounds over the four games, for an average of 10.8 points and  4.5 rebounds per game … Shot 45.5 percent from the field (15-for-33), 50 percent from 3-point range (9-for-18) and 66.7 percent at the line (4-for-6) … Rankd tied for eighth for most made 3-point baskets in a tournament by a JCCC player and  12^th in 3-point field percentage.

Freshman year 2024-25

Helped Johnson County to an undefeated regular season (30-0), an overall record of 34-1 tying the best mark in program history, a conference title and win the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II National Championship … Played in 34 games, one a starter … Averaged 8.7 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists … Was second on the team with 65 made 3-point baskets, which also ranked third in the conference  … Shot 35.5  percent from 3-point range and 80.0 at the free throw line … Upped her scoring average to 11.3 in conference play, and shot 41.3 from 3-point land and 83.3 at the line … Ranked eighth in the conference with a 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio … Scored in double figures 13 times, and the team in scoring twice … Drained 4-of-7 from 3-point range for 12 points in a 69-28 win over Central (11-2-24) … Followed with another 12-point effort in a 79-28 win over Bethany JV (11-5-24) … Knocked down four treys for 12 points in an 83-38 win over Southwestern (11-12-24) … Made 7-of-12 shots including five from 3-point range to post 21 points in a 97-15 blowout over Labette (1-25-25) … Followed with 10 points in a 78-32 win at Fort Scott (1-29-25) and 11 points in an 86-48 home victory over Saint Mary JV (1-30-25) … Drained 6-of-10 shots from beyond the 3-point line, 8-of-13 overall and three free throws for a season-high 25 points to lead JCCC past Hesston 104-30 (2-1-25) … Followed  with 11 points in an 87-46 victory at No. 23 Neosho County (2-5-25) … Poured in 13 points to help the Cavaliers to a 73-67 overtime victory against No. 11 Allen (2-15-25) … Drained four treys and finished with 14 points in an 88-23 win over Fort Scott (2-22-25) … Was JCCC’s only player in double figures, finishing with 15 in a 59-54 loss to No. 11 Highland in the semifinals of the Region 6 Tournament (3-7-25) … Averaged 6.8 point and made 6-of-15 3-point attempts for 40 percent over the four games at the NJCAA Division II National Tournament … Made both 3-point attempts to post six points in a 53-42 win over North Platte in first game (3-18-25) … Was 3-for-6 with a 3-pointer and free throw to finish with eight points to help JCCC upset No. 1 Kirkwood 66-60 in the national semifinals (3-21-22) … Was 2-for-5 from long range and 2-of-2 at the line for eight points in the 75-67 win over No. 6 Pima in the national championship game (3-22-25) … Her six 3-point baskets tie for 13^th all-time tournament play in team history and .400 shooting percentage from beyond the arc ranks 14^{th ...} Earned NJCAA All-Academic first-team with a GPA of 4.0.

High School

Started her senior year for coach Steve Clark at Omaha Westside High School, Omaha, Neb. … Graduated 2024 … Transferred to Omaha Westside from Bellevue East after her junior year …  Selected Nebraska Class A All-State second-team by the Lincoln Journal Star as a senior … Also named second-team All-Metro by the Omaha World-Herald as a senior … Selected to play in the Nebraska Coaches Association All-Star Game … Averaged 16.5 points per game as a senior which ranked eighth in Class A … Also ranked second in free throw percentage at 87 percent and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage at 43 percent … Also averaged 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists … Set the school’s single season record for made 3-point baskets with 77, breaking the old mark of 67 set 17 years prior … Finished her career with 135 3-pointers … Also set the season record for free throw percentage … Scored 32 points against Lincoln Northwest in her second game of the season …Helped lead Omaha Westside to the District Finals …  Started one year and lettered two seasons for coach Brittany Wilson at Bellevue East … Helped Bellevue East reach the Nebraska Class A State Tournament as a junior, finishing with a 22-6 mark … Average 11.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game … Played club basketball for Team Factory in 2019-21 and Nebraska Supreme in 2021-22 coached by Dane Bacon … Named to the NCPA Academic All-State list as a senior.

Personal

Born Kara Ryan Stricklin on August 24, 2006, in Atlanta, Ga. … Daughter of Kelvin Stricklin and Monique Harrison … Has a brother, Kelvin … Her great uncle, Russell Harrison, played football at Kansas State … Major is undecided … Also recruited by Bellevue University, Oglethorpe University and Washington State University … Favorite food is pizza … Favorite fast food restaurant is Chick-fil-A … Favorite restaurant is Charleston’s … Favorite TV show is Stranger Things … Favorite movie is Forrest Gump … Favorite sports movie is Rocky … Favorite actress is Angela Bassett … Favorite book is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks … Favorite music entertainer is Mac Miller … Favorite cartoon character is Batman … Favorite athlete is Allen Iverson … Favorite sports team is the Las Vegas Aces … Greatest sports moment was winning a district championship … Best player she has played against is former Bellevue West teammate and current Grand Canyon University guard Naomi White … Notable alumni from her school are Houston Astros outfielder Jake Meyers and former NFL cornerback Pat Fischer.