Northwestern Standout Tayla Thomas Climbs to No. 4 Nationally in Rebounding

Northwestern women’s basketball is feeding off the energy of its undefeated start. And right in the center of the surge is sophomore forward Tayla Thoma. She has now become one of the most dominant rebounders in the entire country.

The Northwestern's Tayla Thomas Escaped DePaul and Owned the Glass

The 6-foot-3 East Orange, N.J., standout is leading the Big Ten in women’s basketball. She ranks fourth nationally in March Madness WBB in rebounding. Her rise has been rapid, powerful, and essential to Northwestern’s 4-0 momentum.

Northwestern looked ready to run away with its fourth straight victory at Wintrust Arena on Monday. However, the game tightened late, and the Wildcats had to scrap their way to a 79–72 win over DePaul.

In the middle of that fourth-quarter chaos, Thomas became the anchor they needed. She poured in 11 points and hauled down an incredible 18 rebounds. The athlete immediately controlled the glass every time the Wildcats needed a stop.

Thomas arrived at Northwestern as the No. 56 recruit in the class of 2024. She was ranked by ESPN HoopGurlz and polished at the nationally known IMG Academy. Her freshman season was quieter as she navigated a rotation already featuring Taylor Williams, Grace Sullivan, and Caileigh Walsh. Still, she appeared in 20 games and averaged 1.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.7 minutes. With that, she delivered flashes of the talent she is now fully tapping into.

A Foundation Built on Rebounding Excellence

Thomas’s high school numbers show years of growth and heavy rebounding volume, creating the foundation for what she is doing now. They are:
2021 featured 8 PPG and 6 RPG, 2022 exploded to 18 PPG and 16 RPG, and 2023 added 4 PPG and 6 RPG.

A three-year varsity player and 2022 co-captain, she was ranked in the ESPN Girls Basketball Top 50 in both her sophomore and junior years. She also served as a 2023 AAU co-captain with Essence-Nike. There, she competed nationally and sharpened the tools that are defining her sophomore season.

Her athletic roots run deep. Her father played basketball at Skidmore College, her brother Randy plays basketball at NJCU, and her brother Nick plays football at Boston College. Academically, she plans to major in business and marketing at Northwestern.

Let's Peek Over her Freshman Flashes and the Sophomore Breakout

Thomas made the most of her freshman opportunities. She scored nine points with three rebounds and a block in her collegiate debut against Illinois State. She later hit a key fourth-quarter three against Utah, finishing with five points and two assists.

Her strongest freshman performance came at No. 10 Ohio State. That's where she played 25 minutes and grabbed six rebounds, three of them offensive, marking her only Big Ten game with double-digit minutes.

Her floor-stretching potential is one of her most intriguing long-term skills. She attempted 11 three-pointers last season and made three of them, showing real touch for a 6’3” post player. It is a skill Northwestern needs after finishing last in the Big Ten at 28.6 percent from deep.

With a full year of experience and a larger role under head coach Joe McKeown, Thomas has taken her rebounding to an elite national. The undefeated Wildcats now return home to Welsh-Ryan Arena to host Cleveland State at 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday, November 21.

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