Kayla Thornton is in the golden years of her life.
The UTEP and Irvine product and New York Liberty forward is in better shape than she’s ever been and her role in New York is bigger than it’s ever been. Her team, the reigning WNBA champions, enters the Olympic break as the best team in a league that’s bigger and more important than ever before.
A week ago, a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden gave Thornton a standing ovation for his outstanding play against the Chicago Sky and the way he clinched the game that night, crashing into the stands while chasing a loose ball and drawing a foul from Angel Reese.
During a post-game press conference earlier this year in which Thornton scored 20 points and made 6-of-7 3-pointers, her star teammate Breanna Stewart called her “Ka-Three-La.”
For the 31-year-old Thornton, this is what the peak of his career looks like.
“I’m just taking the opportunity that’s been given to me and making the most of it,” said the 6-foot-1 Thornton, who is back in El Paso while the WNBA takes nearly a month off for its stars to head to Paris. “I’m confident in myself and my abilities.”
“I feel like I’m getting back to where I need to be. I’m happy with what I can do and the opportunities I’ve been given have expanded my role. I feel like I’m in a good place.”
What’s been unique about Thornton’s career has been adapting to new roles as she’s grown in the league. UTEP’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder took three years after graduation to secure a full-time spot in the league. That led to a six-year career in Dallas, where she established herself as a defensive anchor, a player who could guard all five positions and, ultimately, a franchise staple.
Last year, she was traded to the Liberty in the biggest trade in WNBA history, and the Liberty established itself as a superteam. Thornton was meant to be a defensive anchor off the bench, but ended up as the sixth man on the WNBA runner-up team.
Now in her eighth season in the league, she’s made another evolution, this time as a 3-point shooter. It’s not an everyday occurrence, but the Liberty is 7-2 when she makes at least two 3-pointers. Thornton has made nine starts for a 21-4 team that ranks sixth in minutes (19.7) and points (6.1).
The Liberty has had some impressive seasons, but injuries and absences have meant that the go-to Thornton’s specific role has changed from night to night, and she has been able to find a way to contribute.
“We’ve used different lineups, we’ve had guys out, different situations,” Thornton said. “I’m always prepared. I have a more aggressive mindset offensively. I’ve been able to fill in some positions when my turn comes. … We’ve had a lot of adversity to overcome.”
One of the big games of her WNBA career was last month against the Los Angeles Sparks, where she scored 20 points and Stewart called her “Ca-Su-La.”
“She’s been in the gym, she’s been working on her shot,” Steward said after the game, offering an example of how Thornton is using her veteran knowledge in the process: “When she’s taking a shot, she doesn’t take it, she doesn’t cut too much. She knows, ‘I’m a shooter, I’m going to get some space in my range.’ Then the rest of the team finds her, and she knows when to take the shot and when to just keep moving and not take the shot.”
Her coach, Sandy Brondello, said, “She practices this every day. We have different roles and she played her role perfectly. Some nights you make more 3-pointers than other nights and this was one of those nights. Every time I see a shot go down, I know it’s going to be made. She sees this every day in practice so she always puts in a great effort.”
Her college coach, Keitha Adams, built on that foundation.
“Kayla has been a successful professional,” said Adams, who will welcome Thornton to UTEP’s summer workouts in a few days. “She knows her game. She knows her strengths. She knows her role, who she’s playing with and what she needs to do to help the team. Maturity, professionalism, competitiveness.”
“She plays very hard, as she always does. She gets the extra ball for her opponent. It’s been fun to watch her develop. She plays very smart when she gets on the attack, so she doesn’t hurt her opponent. She doesn’t take bad shots, she doesn’t lose the ball, and she can guard whether it’s Diana Taurasi or Caitlin Clark.”
This year has been special for other reasons, too. The WNBA brought in its most highly-anticipated draft class ever, featuring rookies such as Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, Angel Reese and Camila Cardoza, bringing unprecedented excitement to the league. The Liberty average 12,755 fans per game, second-best in the league, and weekend games are often sold out.
“The rookies that came in during the last draft brought a lot to the table, so kudos to them,” Thornton said. “More people are paying attention to us, and that’s a good thing. As women, we deserve that recognition. It’s good to see our sport grow and have more talent in the league.”
“It’s fun to play against (the rookies). Our goal is to win, get better and stay focused on our goals and what we’re trying to do.”
In the past, Thornton’s hard work and enthusiasm had made him a popular audience member in New York.
“I do it for the fans. It means more to me than anything that the fans respond to,” Thornton said of the standing ovation he received against Chicago. “If there’s anything I can do to make the game more enjoyable, I’m going to do it.”
The thing she enjoys most is winning a championship, and that seems within reach.
“That’s the end goal,” Thornton said. “The first half of the season was good and now I’m just focused on coming back from the Olympic break and building on what I did in the first half.”
Liberty will try to do that from on high, as will Thornton, who is at the peak of his illustrious career.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter: @Bretbloomquist.
