Kayla Thornton re-signs with Dallas Wings

ROSEMONT, IL - AUGUST 30: Kayla Thornton
ROSEMONT, IL - AUGUST 30: Kayla Thornton /
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The Dallas Wings announced Thursday that they have re-signed reserved free agent forward Kayla Thornton. No terms of the deal were disclosed.

Thornton, a two-year pro, played collegiately at nearby Texas-El Paso. Thornton received a training camp invite from the Washington Mystics in 2015. She went on to make the roster, appearing in 10 games.

Thornton resurfaced at training camp with the Wings in 2017. Thornton appeared in all 34 games for the Wings as the backup power forward behind Glory Johnson. As Thornton continued to play well, head coach Fred Williams continued to get more creative with his lineups to get her on the floor.

“[Thornton] brings energy, versatility and a defensive presence to the court,” said Wings President Greg Bibb in Thursday’s release. “Her ability to guard multiple positions, shoot with range and play a physical brand of basketball are assets to our organization. Kayla is also a great teammate and works tirelessly at improving her game. As a result, I fully expect her to be even more productive moving forward.”

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Thornton shot 80% at the charity stripe and let it fly from deep (27.9%, 61 attempts). Thornton was one of seven first or second year players with the Wings in 2017. The young Dallas bunch made it to the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round by the Washington Mystics.

The Wings will be led into 2018 by Johnson, 2017 Rookie of the Year Allisha Gray and 2017 First Team All-WNBA point guard Skylar Diggins-Smith. It is likely that veteran starting wing Karima Christmas-Kelly will be back as well — she was designated as Dallas’ core player last month.