Part of first sister tandem in Purdue women's basketball history
CAREER
• Appeared in 42 games with nine starts over her first two seasons
• Averaged 2.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists while shooting 33% from the field and 31% from behind the arc
• Played alongside her sister Madison as a freshman and now her junior year
• Sidelined late in her freshman season due to injury
2024-25 / AS A SOPHOMORE
• Appeared in 20 games with nine starts
• Tallied 4.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 22.3 minutes per game
• Stepped up to average 5.5 points and 5.1 rebounds over 27.8 minutes per game, the latter leading the team, during Big Ten Conference play
• Totaled 6.3 points and 6.3 rebounds over her nine starts
• Connected on 24 3-pointers in Big Ten action, third on the team while missing three games
• Posted 5.8 points and 5.7 rebounds with 22 3-pointers over the final 13 games of the year
• Made first career start at Oregon (Jan. 15)
• Recorded a career-high 12 points in back-to-back games against Nebraska (Jan. 30 and Wisconsin (Feb. 2)
• Tallied a career-high 10 rebounds at Indiana (Feb. 15)
• Notched three steals at Washington (Jan. 18) and at Indiana (Feb. 15)
2023-24 / AS A FRESHMAN
• Appeared in 22 games off the bench
• Scored 30 points on the year and grabbed 27 rebounds
• Added to Big Ten’s highest freshman scoring output of 23.5 points per game, third highest in program history and highest at Purdue in 30 years
• Posted a 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio, committing just six giveaways all year
• Recorded nine steals
• Missed final 11 games due to injury
• With Madison, became first sisters to be on the court together in program history, playing together for 6:29 in the season opener at UCLA (Nov. 6)
• Dropped a career-best eight points and six rebounds against Southern Indiana (Nov. 26)
• Dished out a career-best four assists at Michigan State (Jan. 24)
NOTABLE
• No. 144 player in the nation, No. 37 guard, 20 rating by Dan Olson Basketball Report
• Tabbed Elite 150 by Prospects Nation
• No. 5 player in the state by Prep Girls Hoops
• McDonald’s All-America Game nominee
• Indiana Academic All-State as a senior
• IBCA Supreme 15 as a junior and senior
• Indiana All-Star as a junior and senior
• Four-time All-Hoosier Athletic Conference selection
• Four-time Kokomo Tribune All-Area, thrice earning MVP honors
• Two-time Supreme 15 Underclassman and ICGSA All-State honoree
• Two-time sectional champion, won regional and semi-state once, appeared in one state final
• Named an Indiana Junior Core Six All-Star as a junior
• Garnered an IBCA Top-100 selection three times
PREP
• Played for her mother Kathie Layden at Northwestern High School
• Posted a 78-17 record in high school
• Won two sectional titles, one regional and reached the 2020 IHSAA 4A State Championship Game, after being moved up a class
• Tallied 1,616 career points, 573 rebounds, 388 assists and 270 steals
• Averaged 17.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.9 steals per game
• Shot 48% from the field and 41% from distance on 170 made 3-pointers
• Led the team in scoring as a junior with 22.1 points, 4.1 assists, 6.2 assists and 3.8 steals per game
• Set the Northwestern single-game record with 47 points with nine 3-pointers against Taylor on Dec. 10, 2021
• Posted 6.0 points, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game as freshman, reaching the state championship game
• Won two sectional titles in volleyball and two in tennis
• Closed four-year volleyball career with 1,393 kills on a .377 hitting percentage while blocking 312 attacks and racking up 930 digs
• Runner-up in singles of the Hoosier Conference Tennis Tournament as a senior
PERSONAL
• Full Name: McKenna Nicole Layden
• Birthdate: Jan. 11, 2005
• Birthplace: Kokomo, Ind.
• Intended Major: Financial Counseling & Planning
• Parents: Kathie and Jeff Layden
• Sibling: Madison Layden
• Both parents played basketball at the University of Evansville
• Jeff was named to the Missouri Valley All-Bench Team and led the team in blocked shots in 1996-97, as well as 1993-94
• Kathie finisher her career with Evansville ranked seventh in career assists and tied for fourth in 3-pointers
• Kathie retired in 2023 after 23 seasons as a high school head coach in Indiana, winning five state championships, the most by a non-private school head coach, and a record of 385-165
CAREER
• Appeared in 42 games with nine starts over her first two seasons
• Averaged 2.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists while shooting 33% from the field and 31% from behind the arc
• Played alongside her sister Madison as a freshman and now her junior year
• Sidelined late in her freshman season due to injury
2024-25 / AS A SOPHOMORE
• Appeared in 20 games with nine starts
• Tallied 4.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 22.3 minutes per game
• Stepped up to average 5.5 points and 5.1 rebounds over 27.8 minutes per game, the latter leading the team, during Big Ten Conference play
• Totaled 6.3 points and 6.3 rebounds over her nine starts
• Connected on 24 3-pointers in Big Ten action, third on the team while missing three games
• Posted 5.8 points and 5.7 rebounds with 22 3-pointers over the final 13 games of the year
• Made first career start at Oregon (Jan. 15)
• Recorded a career-high 12 points in back-to-back games against Nebraska (Jan. 30 and Wisconsin (Feb. 2)
• Tallied a career-high 10 rebounds at Indiana (Feb. 15)
• Notched three steals at Washington (Jan. 18) and at Indiana (Feb. 15)
2023-24 / AS A FRESHMAN
• Appeared in 22 games off the bench
• Scored 30 points on the year and grabbed 27 rebounds
• Added to Big Ten’s highest freshman scoring output of 23.5 points per game, third highest in program history and highest at Purdue in 30 years
• Posted a 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio, committing just six giveaways all year
• Recorded nine steals
• Missed final 11 games due to injury
• With Madison, became first sisters to be on the court together in program history, playing together for 6:29 in the season opener at UCLA (Nov. 6)
• Dropped a career-best eight points and six rebounds against Southern Indiana (Nov. 26)
• Dished out a career-best four assists at Michigan State (Jan. 24)
NOTABLE
• No. 144 player in the nation, No. 37 guard, 20 rating by Dan Olson Basketball Report
• Tabbed Elite 150 by Prospects Nation
• No. 5 player in the state by Prep Girls Hoops
• McDonald’s All-America Game nominee
• Indiana Academic All-State as a senior
• IBCA Supreme 15 as a junior and senior
• Indiana All-Star as a junior and senior
• Four-time All-Hoosier Athletic Conference selection
• Four-time Kokomo Tribune All-Area, thrice earning MVP honors
• Two-time Supreme 15 Underclassman and ICGSA All-State honoree
• Two-time sectional champion, won regional and semi-state once, appeared in one state final
• Named an Indiana Junior Core Six All-Star as a junior
• Garnered an IBCA Top-100 selection three times
PREP
• Played for her mother Kathie Layden at Northwestern High School
• Posted a 78-17 record in high school
• Won two sectional titles, one regional and reached the 2020 IHSAA 4A State Championship Game, after being moved up a class
• Tallied 1,616 career points, 573 rebounds, 388 assists and 270 steals
• Averaged 17.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.9 steals per game
• Shot 48% from the field and 41% from distance on 170 made 3-pointers
• Led the team in scoring as a junior with 22.1 points, 4.1 assists, 6.2 assists and 3.8 steals per game
• Set the Northwestern single-game record with 47 points with nine 3-pointers against Taylor on Dec. 10, 2021
• Posted 6.0 points, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game as freshman, reaching the state championship game
• Won two sectional titles in volleyball and two in tennis
• Closed four-year volleyball career with 1,393 kills on a .377 hitting percentage while blocking 312 attacks and racking up 930 digs
• Runner-up in singles of the Hoosier Conference Tennis Tournament as a senior
PERSONAL
• Full Name: McKenna Nicole Layden
• Birthdate: Jan. 11, 2005
• Birthplace: Kokomo, Ind.
• Intended Major: Financial Counseling & Planning
• Parents: Kathie and Jeff Layden
• Sibling: Madison Layden
• Both parents played basketball at the University of Evansville
• Jeff was named to the Missouri Valley All-Bench Team and led the team in blocked shots in 1996-97, as well as 1993-94
• Kathie finisher her career with Evansville ranked seventh in career assists and tied for fourth in 3-pointers
• Kathie retired in 2023 after 23 seasons as a high school head coach in Indiana, winning five state championships, the most by a non-private school head coach, and a record of 385-165