The UTEP women’s basketball team is set to celebrate its greatest hero, newly crowned WNBA champion Kayla Thornton, at the Don Haskins Center game against Morehead State on Nov. 10.
The Irvin High School alum Thornton and her New York Liberty won the WNBA championship Sunday night in overtime, with Thornton playing 21 minutes in her normal role as the sixth player.
More: UTEP women’s basketball 2024-25 schedule: Big 12’s BYU is coming to Haskins Center
Five years after her induction into UTEP’s athletics hall of fame, Thornton will have her jersey retired and hung from the Haskins Center rafters on Sunday, Nov. 10, which is officially “Kayla Thornton Day.” She will also receive recognition from El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser at the game.
The 6-foot-1 forward Thornton averaged 5.5 points and 2.6 rebounds this season for the champion Liberty and is known as a top defensive player in the WNBA. She is an eight-year veteran of the WNBA.
She played at UTEP from 2010-14 and left the school as the all-time leading scorer and rebounder.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP hoops to celebrate its new WNBA champion with Kayla Thornton Day
