2023-24 Women's Basketball Roster
Roster
Kayla Padilla
- Position:
- Guard
- Height:
- 5-9
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- High School:
- Bishop Montgomery
- Hometown:
- Torrance, Calif.
THIS SEASON
Kayla Padilla enters her first season at USC as a grad transfer from Penn.
2022-23 SENIOR SEASON AT PENN
• Unanimous First Team All-Ivy selection
• Ivy Madness All-Tournament Team
• Ranks seventh all-time in Penn history in career scoring (1,355)
• One of two players to start in all 29 games
• Led the Ivy League with 17.7 points per game
• Second in Ivy League for total points (514)
• Second in Ivy League with 2.8 threes made per game
• Second in Ivy League for total 3-pointers made (81)
• Led team in FT% (.855)
• Only Penn player to play over 1,000 minutes (1,042)
• Scored a season-high 31 points vs. Marist (11/10)
• Registered a season-high nine rebounds against Villanova (11/17) and Stony Brook (12/1)
• Had a season-high eight assists vs. Harvard (2/11)
• USBWA National Player of the Week (1/10)
• Three-time Ivy League Player of the Week (11/14, 1/9, 2/13)
• Two-time Big 5 Player of the Week (12/12, 2/27)
2021-22 JUNIOR SEASON AT PENN
• First Team All-Ivy
• First Team All-Big 5
• CoBL.com All-City 6 First Team
• All-ECAC Second Team
• PhillySIDA Academic All-Area
• Started in all 20 games played in
• Averaged 37.6 minutes per game, the most in the Ivy League and 11th in Division I
• Led Ivy League in scoring with 18.6 points per game, shooting at a .401 clip
• Ranked second in the Ivy League in 3-pt FGs per game (2.8) and third in 3-point percentage (.368)
• Led the Ivy League in free-throw percentage (.789)
• Ranked third in the league in assists (4.2), while leading the league in assist-turnover ratio (2.00)
• Set program record in 3-pointers made in a single game with nine against Memphis (11/27)
• Career-high 36 points vs. Memphis, marking the 10th most points in Penn history in a single game
• Recorded at least one assist in all 20 games, tallying a total of 84 assists on the year
• Delivered a career-high 11 assists vs. Brown (2/19) — fifth most in a single game in program history
• Scored in double figures in 18 games, with eight games of 20-plus points
• Scored at least one 3-pointer in every game, making four or more threes in six contests
• Went perfect at the free-throw line in six games, totaling 60-for-76 for the year
• Ivy League Player of the Week (12/13)
• Two-time Big 5 Player of the Week (11/15, 11/29)
2020-21 SOPHOMORE SEASON AT PENN
• All 2020-21 Ivy League winter sports were canceled on Nov. 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Named HerHoopStats.com Preseason Mid-Major Player of the Year Watch List
2019-20 FRESHMAN SEASON AT PENN
• 2020 Ivy League Rookie of the Year
• 2020 First Team All-Ivy
• Started all 27 games, averaging a team-high 32.4 minutes per game
• Led Penn and ranked second in Ivy League and sixth nationally among all freshman with 17.4 points per game
• Finished with 23 double-digit scoring games, including 12 20-point performances
• Finished the season with 73 made 3-pointers, the fourth most in a season in Penn history
• Scored a season-high 27 points on 10-for-14 shooting vs. Princeton (1/11)
• Scored 25 points and had four assists at NJIT (11/13) to become the first Penn player since Diana Caramanico in 1997-98 to score at least 25 points in one of her first two career games
• Her 39 points in first two appearances are the most at Penn since Kirsten Brendel scored 54 in 1987-88
• Recorded seven 20-point games in a 10-game stretch, including 24 in consecutive games vs. La Salle (12/4) and Stetson (12/7)
• With three consecutive 20-point games, swept awards the week of Dec. 9 as Ivy League Player and Rookie of the Week, Big 5 Player of the Week and U.S. Basketball Writers Association National Freshman of the Week
• Buried a season-high five 3-pointers at Harvard (1/31)
• Had a season-high five rebounds vs. Iona (11/17)
• Twice recorded a season-high five assists (vs. Iona and Harvard)
• Led team in scoring 16 times
• Two-time Ivy League Player of the Week (12/9, 1/6)
• Big 5 Player of the Week (12/9)
• Six-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week (11/18, 11/25, 12/9, 1/6, 1/13, 3/9)
• U.S. Basketball Writers Association National Freshman of the Week (12/10)
HIGH SCHOOL
Four-year starter and three-time team captain for coach Noelle Quinn at Bishop Montgomery High... 2019 McDonald's All-American nominee... Finished with 1,907 career points, good for second in school history... Averaged 19 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks as a senior... Four-time Del Rey All-League and first-team All-CIF Southern Section... Del Rey League MVP... 2018 first team All-State, second team Elite and second team Open Division/Division 1... 2019 second-team All-State, second-team Elite and first-team Open Division/Division 1... 2019 MaxPreps All-State honorable mention... Two-time LA Times All-Star Team selection... Four-time Daily Breeze All-Area... 2019 Daily Breeze Player of the Year... Surpassed 1,000 career points as a junior... Four-time Battle of the Beach All-Tournament Team... Two-time Santa Barbara Tournament of Champion All-Tournament... Troy Classic All-Tournament... 2018 Winter Classic MVP... Named Distinguished Athlete Award winner twice at school... Two-time Team MVP... Four-time Scholar-Athlete Award winner... Named 2019 Bishop Montgomery Female Athlete of the Year... Two-time Del Rey League champion... 2017 CIF Southern Section Division 1 champion... Played four years of AAU basketball for Nike EYBL team West Coast Premier... 2018 Nike EYBL Run for Roses champion... 2018 Boo Williams Nike EYBL All-Tournament... Named to Principal's Honor Roll... Earned highest honors as George Montgomery Scholar with over 4.5 GPA... Served as student ambassador... Member of National Honor Society, serving as Vice President... Member of California Scholarship Federation and served on campus ministry.
PERSONAL
Kayla Cassandra Padilla was born Oct. 11, 2001 in Torrance, Calif.... The daughter of Joy and Ian Padilla... Has two sisters: Ava and Jordan... Enjoys playing instruments, listening to music, reading and drinking coffee in her free time... Lists Kobe Bryant as her biggest sports hero... Founder of The Sideline Post (thesidelinepost.com)... Earned an economics degree from Penn with concentrations in finance and management... Pursuing a master's in entrepreneurship and innovation at USC and hopes to work in sports or music and eventually run her own company.
