Kayla Thornton College

Kayla Thornton is an American player who plays for the New York Liberty. She is a 6 feet 1-inch tall versatile player who can operate as either a small forward or a power forward. Born on October 20, 1992, in Germany, Thornton is known for her elite defensive skills and her ability to guard players in any position. Kayla Thornton went undrafted in the 2014 WNBA Draft but she went on to build a successful career in the WNBA and overseas. Throughout her 10-year professional career, she has played in Australia, Egypt, Israel, Italy, Puerto Rico, Russia, and South Korea, besides WNBA teams.

Thornton played six seasons for the Dallas Wings from 2017 to 2022. Notably, in 2018, she showed significant growth as a player and finished third in the WNBA Most Improved Player rankings. In 2023, she was traded to the New York Liberty. In 2023, she won the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup with the New York Liberty. She also won the South Korean WKBL Championship in 2019 with the Cheongju KB Stars. That same year, she was named WKBL MVP, and WKBL Import Player of the Year. During the 2024 WNBA season, Kayla averaged 5.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game as of September 18, 2024.

Kayla Thornton College

Kayla Thornton's college career at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) from 2010 to 2014 was outstanding. As a freshman in the 2010-11 collegiate season, Thornton quickly made an impact, ranking second on her team in several stat categories, including double-doubles, free-throws made, and offensive rebounds. As a sophomore, Thornton earned All-Conference USA Second Team honors and was a member of the C-USA All-Tournament team. She improved her stats across the board, leading UTEP in field-goal percentage and contributing to UTEP's first conference tournament win. Her junior year saw her repeat as an All-Conference USA Second Team selection while leading the team in double-doubles and steals. She also made notable contributions in the Junkanoo Jam and had a career-high 32 points in a game against Memphis.

In her senior year, Thornton earned a spot on the C-USA All-Defensive squad and was a key player for UTEP, leading the team in scoring and rebounding. After an amazing four years, Kayla Thornton finished as the all-time leading scorer for the UTEP Miners with 1,679 points. In addition to her athletic career, Kayla Thornton pursued a degree in criminal justice at UTEP.

Kayla Thornton College Stats

Kayla Thornton High School

Before her remarkable collegiate career at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), Kayla Thornton was a highly acclaimed high school basketball player at Irvin High School in El Paso, Texas. Over her four years, she set school records with 1,953 points and 884 rebounds. Thornton’s senior season was particularly impressive as she averaged 28 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, leading the Irvin High School basketball team to win the 1-4A championship. Her outstanding performance earned her the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame's 1-4A Female Athlete of the Year award and the El Paso Times MVP honor.

Thornton’s high school career also included success in track and field, where she won district titles in the 100-meter hurdles, long jump, and triple jump, and placed second in the 100-meter dash.