By John “Woods” Armwood III
The New York Liberty (19-4) have another historic night as they prevail over the Chicago Sky, 91-76. Despite the multiple talking points of this thriller of a game, it’s easy to overlook the key contribution of Liberty guard Kayla Thornton. In 2023, Liberty acquired Thornton from the Dallas Wings in a three-team trade with the Connecticut Suns. The Liberty managed to pack the Barclays Center nearly to capacity, nonetheless it was another sell-out crowd (17,758). The Liberty is slowly becoming one of the most popular teams in New York, combined with one of the most polarizing figures in all of the sports Angel Reese in attendance. It brought out many fans and the arena was electric throughout the game, some believe because many wanted to see Reese continue her double-double streak.
“From the moment KT arrived in Brooklyn, she has exceeded the standards of resilience, physicality, consistency, and character that embodies the New York Liberty,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said.
Kayla Thornton’s Impact on the Liberty
This season, Thornton’s averaging six points and two rebounds. While this may appear very pedestrian, her role has significantly increased while former all-star Betnijah Laney-Hamilton has been hurt. Normally, she’s asked to come in and help defensively and occasionally knock down a few shots when the opportunity presents itself. However, she’s performed beyond her role and has helped bail out the Liberty numerous times. Often, when she enters the game she brings an energy that helps reunite all of the crowd. With every defensive stop, it appears to fuel her confidence ultimately helping build momentum that the team can capitalize off.
Thornton has altered her image while being with the Liberty and is now revered and loved by the fans of New York City. Many consider Thornton a fan favorite, and they embrace her personality and uniqueness. She’s utilized that support and has implemented that into her gameplay. Yesterday evening, after she drilled a momentum-shifting three, she paused to stop and celebrate with the crowd.
“I get excited when I’m able to come out there and do what I do for the fans, and when they give me back that energy that means everything to me,” Thornton explains. “They come out here every night, in that New York traffic to come see us. It’s such a blessing, so if I could do something to get them lit or excited to make the game more fun, I’m going to do that. I love my New York Liberty fans because they’re just the best!”
“I get excited when I’m able to come out there and do what I do for the fans, and when they give me back that energy that means everything to me,” @KBT_5Blessed explains. “They come out here every night, in that New York traffic to come to see us, it’s such a blessing." pic.twitter.com/h3AJp2NKC8
— John “Woods” Armwood III (@J_Armwood908) July 12, 2024
Key Contributions
Yesterday evening, Thornton accounted for 16 points and four steals against the Sky. While other stars receive praise, Thornton appeared as the unsung hero. She not only contributed to scoring in times the Liberty desperately needed points, but she also took on the challenge of guarding the leading scorer for the Sky, Marina Mabrey. Early in the game, Mabrey was in rhythm but once Thornton was assigned to her the physicality began to affect her offense. Ultimately, she ended the game with a positive plus-minus (+16), meaning her impact on the game was vital to this win at home.
“...We've got the tools to be a great defensive team, it's the consistency and we know we've shown it a lot this year too when we lock in,” Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello states. “I mean we can lock teams down too, now not always for 40 minutes, but we know how to raise the level and it's just the communication and the trust that they have that's pretty special. We're going to continue to get better we're not where we want to be but we're on the right track.”