[1] Stires attended Cloud County Community College during her freshman year before transferring to Kansas State University,[2] where she graduated in 1995 with a B.S.
With Kansas State, Stires scored 1,344 career points, and as a senior was selected for Kodak All-America honorable mention and All-Big 8 First Team accolades.
After the ABL ceased operations, she joined the Women's National Basketball Association and played for the Minnesota Lynx for three seasons after being drafted with the 56th overall pick in 2000.
[4] After her playing career she served three years as an assistant coach for the women's basketball team at Ohio University.
Her brother, Sean Stires, is a play-by-play radio announcer for the University of Notre Dame's women's basketball team.