After six years away from the WNBA, Kayla Alexander got a call she had been waiting for, and it brought her home.
Kayla joins Hoop There It Is to talk about her unexpected WNBA comeback with the Toronto Tempo, signing two hardship contracts and getting the chance to play professionally in Canada in front of friends and family.
She takes us inside what it was like returning to the WNBA for the first time since 2020, why the opportunity in Toronto meant so much to her, and whether the experience changed how she thinks about the next chapter of her basketball career.
But Kayla isn't done chasing big goals on the court. The Olympian recently helped Team Canada go a perfect 5-0 in pre-qualifying and talks about her hopes of making another Olympic run at Los Angeles 2028.
She also opens up about a decision every veteran athlete eventually has to face: when do you know it's time to walk away? Kayla discusses the possibility of retirement, what could factor into that decision, and what she still wants to accomplish before she's finished playing.
Away from basketball, Kayla takes us inside Tall Size, the platform she co-created to help tall women find clothing that actually fits, how the idea came together, and why it became such a personal project for her.
Coming up in this episode:
- How Kayla Alexander made an unexpected WNBA comeback after six years away
- What it was really like stepping back onto a WNBA court for the first time since 2020
- Getting the opportunity to play at home with the Toronto Tempo
- Why playing professionally in front of friends and family in Canada meant so much
- Team Canada going 5-0 and Kayla's push toward LA 2028
- The difficult question of when an athlete knows it's time to retire
- What Kayla still wants to accomplish before she walks away from basketball
- The story behind Tall Size and the problem Kayla wanted to help solve for tall women
- Theo, the love of her life
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