Wells was the sister of Georgean, West Virginia's 6-foot-7 center. She was a graduate of Columbus' Northland High School, where she averaged 20 points per game. Twice in her high school career she received All-City recognition and was named honorable mention All-State while playing on what was considered to be one of the finest teams in Ohio. Wells transferred from Ohio Dominican College for her sophomore season. That year, 1983, she played in 12 games, averaging 1.3 points game. Returning her junior year, Wells was expected to feature as a defender rather than a scorer (as she was in high school). That year, she averaged 1.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per game while playing in 20 games. Her senior year she averaged 1.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 17 games.