UTEP retires 2024 WNBA Champion Kayla Thornton’s jersey
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso native and former UTEP Miner saw her number become the first women's basketball jersey to be hang from the rafters inside of the Don Haskins Center on Sunday.
Thornton played at UTEP from 2010-2014 then just last month on October 10th, she played on the biggest stage in women's basketball as she and the New York Liberty won game five of the WNBA Championship against the Minnesota Lynx.
Coming back to El Paso and having her jersey retired was a very emotional moment for Thornton.
"First I just thank God," Thornton said. "Just to come back and to see all these people come out here and support me, it's emotional and I try not to cry because you know my makeup but I'm a little girl that came from West Texas and I want to show that we do have talent here and I want to show these young girls that come out and here and play basketball, I need these girls to know that they can make it but you just have to have dedication and keep God first."
Thorton accomplished a life-long long but the next goal is to snag a defensive player of the year award in the WNBA and to of course, go for another WNBA title.
Nov. 10th is now known to be "Kayla Thornton Day" from here on out in El Paso, Texas.
