Kaitlyn Davis

{{Infobox basketball biography | name = Kaitlyn Davis | image = | image_size = | caption = | number = | team = Free agent | position = Guard-Forward (Swingman) | league = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2001|06|27}} | birth_place = Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 2 | weight_lb = | high_school = Greenwich Academy (Greenwich, Connecticut) | college = {{Ubl|Columbia (2019–2023)|University of Southern California (2024–present)}} | draft_year = 2024 | draft_round = 3 | draft_pick = 35 | draft_team = New York Liberty | draft_league = WNBA | career_start = 2024 | career_end = | career_position = Forward | career_number = | coach_start = | coach_end = | years1 = 2024 | team1 = {{ill|Rojas de Veracruz|es}} | years2 = 2024 | team2 = Atenienses de Manatí | highlights = * 2x First-team All-Ivy (2022, 2023) | wnba_profile = kaitlyn-davis }}

'''Kaitlyn Davis''' (born June 27, 2001) is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. She played college basketball for Columbia University and the University of Southern California (USC).

== Early life == Davis was born in Norwalk, Connecticut to Cynthia and Victor Davis. She has two siblings named Olivia and Victor. Her twin sister Olivia Davis played college basketball for Hamilton College. Her cousin RJ Davis also plays college basketball, for the University of North Carolina.<ref name="USC">{{Cite web|url=https://usctrojans.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kaitlyn-davis/15690|title=Kaitlyn Davis - Biography|access-date=2024-05-25|website=USC Trojans}}</ref>

thumb|left|alt=Greenwich Academy front building|Greenwich Academy in Greenwich, Connecticut, where Davis attended for five years.

She names Breanna Stewart as a personal inspiration, and is a fan of both the New York Liberty and the Connecticut Sun.<ref name="NYAmsterdamNews" />

== High school career == Davis attended and played high school basketball at Greenwich Academy in Greenwich, Connecticut for five years. She joined the varsity team in eight grade, and averaged 16.6 points per game in her debut season.<ref name="Columbia">{{Cite web|url=https://gocolumbialions.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kaitlyn-davis/17718|title=Kaitlyn Davis - Biography|access-date=2024-05-25|website=Columbia Lions}}</ref> Her career best was 21 points and 12.3 rebounds average in the 2015–16 season. She scored 1,305 points in five years and had a career best of 33 points in one game. She graduated from Greenwich Academy in 2019.<ref name="USC" /><ref name="CTInsider">{{Cite web |last=Aldam |first=Will |date=2024-04-16 |title=USC's Kaitlyn Davis, a Norwalk native, selected in WNBA Draft by New York Liberty |url=https://www.ctinsider.com/gametimect/girls-basketball/article/wnba-draft-new-york-liberty-picks-usc-19405905.php |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=CT Insider}}</ref> She also played club basketball with the Connecticut Basketball Club on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit.<ref name="Columbia" />

== College career == Davis debuted in the 2019–20 season with the Columbia University Lions, where she played in 24 games and started in eight games. She led her team and was seventh in the Ivy League with 22 blocks per game. She was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week in February 2020.<ref name="USC" /><ref name="Columbia" />

After skipping the 2020–21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Davis returned to Columbia for her junior season of 2021–22. She started in all 32 games throughout the season, averaging 13.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks. Davis ranked top 10 in the Ivy League in rebounds, steals, and blocks. She was named to the First Team All-Ivy League and Second Team All-Met (Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association), and was named Ivy League Player of the Week four times combined in 2020 and 2021. She achieved weekly honor roll six times.<ref name="USC" /><ref name="Columbia" />

In the 2022–23 season, Davis averaged 13.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. She had 34 total blocks. She started and played in all 34 games in the season, and ranked sixth in Columbia's all-time history with 281 rebounds in a single season. She had a 51% shooting average from the floor (178/349). She was unanimously named to First Team All-Ivy League and Second Team All-Met. She achieved weekly honor roll seven times. Davis became the 13th player in Columbia program history to reach 1,000 career points, and was named to the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) All-Tournament Team.<ref name="USC" /><ref name="Columbia" />

In her time at Columbia, she scored 1,083 career points and 679 career rebounds, eight and seventh in program history respectively.<ref name="Columbia" /> She was the first player in program history to achieve a triple-double.<ref name="ColumbiaSpectator" />

Davis transferred to USC for the 2023–24 season while she pursues a postgraduate education.<ref name="USC" /> USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb describes Davis as "a high-level performer" and praises her versatility on the court.<ref name="GoTrojans">{{Cite web|url=https://usctrojans.com/news/2023/6/6/womens-basketball-kaitlyn-davis-joins-usc-womens-basketball-as-grad-transfer.aspx|title=Kaitlyn Davis Joins USC Women's Basketball As Grad Transfer|date=2023-06-06|access-date=2024-05-25|website=USC Trojans}}</ref> She scored 180 points and started consistently.<ref name="ColumbiaSpectator" /> Her season highs were 16 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, and 4 steals.<ref name="USC" /> She helped her team to the Elite Eight round of the 2024 NCAA tournament, losing to the UConn Huskies.<ref name="GoLions" />

thumb|right|alt=Inside Galen Center, USC's basketball stadium|Galen Center, USC's basketball stadium.

== Professional career == Davis declared for the 2024 WNBA draft<ref name="ColumbiaSpectator">{{Cite web|url=https://www.columbiaspectator.com/sports/2024/04/04/kaitlyn-davis-cc-23-declares-for-2024-wnba-draft/|title=Kaitlyn Davis, CC '23, declares for 2024 WNBA draft|date=2024-04-04|last1=Rieder|first1=Arielle|access-date=2024-05-25|website=Columbia Daily Spectator|last2=Prunty|first2=Jullian}}</ref> and was drafted in the third round, 35th overall, by the New York Liberty.<ref name="CTInsider" /><ref name="GoLions">{{Cite web|url=https://gocolumbialions.com/news/2024/4/15/womens-basketball-columbias-abbey-hsu-24-kaitlyn-davis-23-selected-in-wnba-draft.aspx|title=Columbia's Abbey Hsu '24, Kaitlyn Davis '23 Selected in WNBA Draft|date=2024-04-15|access-date=2024-05-25|website=Columbia Lions}}</ref> She did not join the training camp before the 2024 season.<ref name="NYAmsterdamNews" /> She joined the Liberty training camp for the 2025 season, but was waived on May 2.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dalzell |first=Noa |date=2025-05-03 |title=New York Liberty make first training camp roster cuts |url=https://www.sbnation.com/wnba/2025/5/3/24423056/new-york-liberty-kaitlyn-davis-training-camp-roster-cuts-wnba |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=SBNation.com |language=en}}</ref>

Davis played with Rojas de Veracruz of the Mexican LNBP during the 2024 season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=San Román |first=Diego |date=2024-04-20 |title=Kaytlin Davis, prospecto de la WNBA llega a las Rojas de Veracruz |url=https://www.xeudeportes.mx/deporte-veracruz/1320078/kaytlin-davis-prospecto-de-la-wnba-llega-a-las-rojas-de-veracruz |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=XEU Deportes |language=es-mx}}</ref><ref name="NYAmsterdamNews" /> She averaged 9.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.<ref name="LatinBasket">{{Cite web|url=https://basketball.latinbasket.com/player/Kaitlyn-Davis/523186?Women=1|title=Kaitlyn Davis|access-date=2024-05-25|website=Latin Basket}}</ref> She then joined Atenienses de Manatí of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional Femenino.

==Career statistics==

=== College === {{WNBA player statistics start}} |- | style="text-align:left;" | 2019–20 | style="text-align:left;" | Columbia |24||8||21.5||40.2||21.9||67.8||5.5||1.4||1.0||0.9||2.1||8.4 |- | style="text-align:left;" | 2020–21 | style="text-align:left;" | Columbia | style="text-align:center;" colspan="12" |''Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic'' |- | style="text-align:left;" | 2021–22 | style="text-align:left;" | Columbia |32||32||'''28.4'''||47.7||'''25.6'''||68.9||'''8.3'''||2.5||'''1.6'''||'''1.3'''||3.3||13.1 |- | style="text-align:left;" | 2022–23 | style="text-align:left;" | Columbia |'''34'''||'''34'''||'''28.4'''||51.0||25.0||'''70.1'''||'''8.3'''||'''3.7'''||'''1.6'''||0.8||2.6||'''13.6''' |- | style="text-align:left;" | 2023–24 | style="text-align:left;" | USC |30||24||26.0||'''54.4'''||0.0||58.2||5.8||1.7||0.8||0.6||'''1.0'''||6.0 |- | style="text-align:center;" colspan=2 | '''Career''' |120||98||26.4||48.5||23.6||67.6||7.1||2.4||1.3||0.9||2.3||10.5 |- class="sortbottom" |style="text-align:center;" colspan="14"|Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/kaitlyn-davis-1.html|title=Kaitlyn Davis College Stats|publisher=Sports-Reference|accessdate=July 7, 2024}}</ref> {{s-end}}

== Personal life == Davis earned her bachelor's degree at Columbia University, and is currently pursuing a master's degree in entrepreneurship and innovation at USC.<ref name="USC" /><ref name="NYAmsterdamNews">{{Cite web|url=https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2024/04/25/columbia-alum-kaitlyn-davis-begins-her-pro-career-with-liberty/|title=Columbia alum Kaitlyn Davis begins her pro career with the Liberty|last=Elfman|first=Lois|date=2024-04-25|access-date=2024-05-25|website=New York Amsterdam News}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * [https://www.espn.com/wnba/player/_/id/4433382/kaitlyn-davis Kaitlyn Davis – ESPN]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Kaitlyn}} Category:Basketball players from Connecticut Category:Living people Category:2001 births Category:New York Liberty draft picks Category:American women's basketball players Category:Shooting guards Category:Forwards (basketball) Category:Sportspeople from Norwalk, Connecticut Category:New York Liberty players Category:Halcones Rojos Veracruz players Category:American expatriate basketball people in Mexico Category:Columbia Lions women's basketball players Category:USC Trojans women's basketball players Category:21st-century American sportswomen