Kayla Alexander

Biography

Kayla Alexander made her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 where the Canadian women’s basketball team finished ninth. Coming off a PCL injury in 2020, she helped the Canadian team go 3-0 at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament to secure a third straight Olympic appearance. She was also a key player for Canada in qualifying for Paris 2024, notching 16 points per game to rank second overall at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Hungary. 

In 2022, Alexander finally got the chance to compete at her first FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. She was second in tournament rebounding as she helped Canada to a fourth-place finish, the team’s best result since 1986. 

Alexander debuted for Canada in 2008, winning silver with the junior national team at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship in Argentina. In 2009, she played with the junior national team at the FIBA U19 World Cup as Canada finished fourth. She averaged 25 minutes and a double-double at each of those tournaments. In 2012 she joined the national development team for a handful of exhibition games in Montenegro and Belgium.

Alexander made her first appearance with the senior national team in 2018 for a pair of exhibition games in the United States. She was named to the roster for the 2018 FIBA World Cup but an MCL injury in those exhibition games prevented her from playing. In 2019, she was with the national team for a three-game tournament in Belgium and a pair of exhibition games in Great Britain before the FIBA AmeriCup. The team won silver and Alexander was named in the AmeriCup All-Star 5, leading the tournament with 10.2 rebounds per game. She was part of Canada’s fourth place and bronze medal finishes at the AmeriCups in 2021 and 2023, respectively, leading the latter tournament in rebounding and earning her second All-Tournament Team selection.

Alexander played collegiately at Syracuse from 2010 to 2013. Her first year she was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman team. As a sophomore, she led the team in points and blocks on her way to being an All-BIG EAST First Team member. She followed that up by setting a school record for blocks in a season (96) and was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team. As a senior, she set the single-season school scoring record (573 points), leading the Orange to the NCAA Tournament. She was the Syracuse 2013 Female Athlete of the Year, returned to the All-BIG EAST First Team, and was an AP All-American honorable mention. She finished as the school’s all-time leader in points, blocks, and games played.

Drafted with the eighth pick in the first round of the 2013 WNBA Draft by the San Antonio Silver Stars, Alexander spent five seasons with the organization before being traded to Indiana. She then made stops in Chicago and Minnesota. She plays pro  overseas, having competed in Russia, France, Korea, Australia, and Poland. Highlights include a Russian Premier League Championship with Vologda-Chevakata in 2015 and leading the Adelaide Lightning of the WNBL to a finals appearance in 2019.

A Little More About Kayla

Getting into the Sport: Started playing basketball when she was 12… Won two age group national championships with Team Ontario, first with the U15 team in 2005 and again with the U17 team in 2008… Brother Kyle Alexander plays for the Canadian men’s basketball team… Outside Interests: Majored in Social Studies, Education, French and History at Syracuse… Would like to be a teacher after basketball… Author and illustrator of a children’s book entitled ‘The Magic of Basketball’… Founded an online clothing directory for tall women called ‘Tall Size’… …