May 24, 2023
Locked on Women’s Basketball: Kayla Thornton is key to New York Liberty WNBA title hopes
By The Next
Howard and Kayla Thornton chat about her career, what stands out to her and her love for defense
It’s time for another Locked on Women’s Basketball podcast episode. Kayla Thornton, defensive stopper extraordinaire for the New York Liberty, joins Howard Megdal to discuss her career. Everything from her starring days at UTEP, to her years out of the league looking for a way in, to how defending Candace Parker turned her identity into one the league came to embrace. Thornton also explains why she doesn’t prioritize social media and imagines what a championship might feel like with her new team.
Continue reading with a subscription to The Next
Get unlimited access to women’s basketball coverage and help support our hardworking staff of writers, editors, and photographers by subscribing today.
Already a member?
Login
Kayla Thornton talks about a moment that stands out to her when she felt established as a player in the league:
“Yeah, my career is kind of different from a lot of people’s and how I started. When I was with Washington, I got cut twice. Then I had a workout with Dallas, and then that aspired there and I was there, half of my career or almost all my career. And then now I’m in New York. So you know, of course, it is just a blessing; I think just with this game and how our league is evolving, you have to keep involving your game getting better in different areas. You can’t stay content in one area. And I think I’ve just done that over the years, just doing what I do best and not getting out of that and not trying to be somebody I’m not, but just doing what got me here. And keep growing from that.”
Kayla Thornton talks about her passion for defense and where it came from:
“I think I’ve always been like that. I think that’s kind of just instilled in me. I think that it just came natural. And in college, I didn’t know what I was, so I kind of did everything in college. But I think coming to the league. You know what, let me take that back when I was in Washington and when they told me I was undersized and wasn’t big enough to guard so and so and stuff like that. That’s kind of when I was just like, you know, what, let me prove them wrong.
And then I started really building my game on defense and really focused on the defensive tactics of the little things and how to do certain things and stuff like that. So I think it kind of spiraled from that. And from there, I kind of just took that on. I took on challenges and stuff like that. And it just became something that I love to do that kind of gets me going and gets my game going that leads to everything else.”
Add Locked On Women’s Basketball to your daily routine
Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.
Make sure to subscribe to Locked on Women’s Basketball, where we have new shows every weekday.
For more coverage of the WNBA, click here.
