Women's Basketball
Kleifgen, Kayla
Kayla Kleifgen
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- kayla.kleifgen@marquette.edu
- Phone:
- 288-7225
The 2023-24 season marked the first season for Kayla Kleifgen at Marquette after joining the MU staff in July 2023.
Kleifgen came to Marquette after spending the past seven seasons at Northern Kentucky. At MU, her primary duties will be recruiting, player development of guards, and scouting.
Marquette made history during the 2023-24 season with the best start in program history at 12-0. The Golden Eagles were one of 10 teams in the country to go undefeated in nonconference, including winning the Fort Meyers Tip-Off over Thanksgiving weekend. MU earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament with 23 wins and finished tied for third at 11-7 in the BIG EAST with St. John's and Villanova.
The Golden Eagles were one of the best in the nation at sharing the ball, averaging 17.9 assists per game to rank top 20 in the country. Marquette finished top 25 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.22). Senior guard Rose Nkumu finished first in the BIG EAST and sixth in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio.
MU shot 50-percent-or-better from the floor 11 times and finished top 40 in the nation in FG percentage (44.8 percent). The Golden Eagles were among the nation’s best from deep, shooting 36.3 percent from beyond the arc to rank top 20 in the nation and second in the BIG EAST. Sophomore guard Mackenzie Hare was first in the BIG EAST and 13th in the nation with 91 made threes on the season.
Kleifgen spent six seasons as the recruiting coordinator at Northern Kentucky and was promoted to associate head coach for the 2022-23 season. At NKU, her responsibilities included scouting, player development and on-court duties. Additionally, she served as the program’s academic liaison and ran the program’s team camps.
While at Northern Kentucky, Kleifgen helped lead the Norse to their first-ever 20-win season at the Division I level in 2019-20. In 2021-22, she assisted the team en route to a 21-8 record, the program’s best Division I record.
Kelifgen recruited and helped coach several Norse players that went on to earn all-conference honors, including Lindsey Duvall who was named to the Horizon League First Team in 2023. Duvall earned Horizon League Second Team honors in 2021 and 2022.
With deep recruiting ties in the Midwest, Kelifgen helped bring forward Grayson Rose to Northern Kentucky from Garrettsville, Ohio. Rose earned Horizion League All-Defensive honors in 2021 and became the first player in program history to be named Horizion League Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.
As the team’s academic liaison, Kelifgen helped the team earn several academic accolades. Forward Kailey Coffey was a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District Team selection, becoming the first to receive the honor in program history. She was also a Horizon League All-Academic Team selection from 2019-2021.
Prior to NKU, Kelifgen spent one year at Kentucky as the team’s staff support associate. She assisted the Wildcat staff with daily operations in the office and assisted with basketball camps at Kentucky, Lipscomb and The Next Level Basketball Camp.
As a player, Kleifgen was a four-year player at Eckerd College. She tied Eckerd’s career mark by appearing in 110 games over her career. She ranks second on the Tritons’ all-time list in assists (406), sixth in made free throws (267), 12th in free-throw percentage (.740), 14th in made three-pointers (67), 15th in three-point percentage (.310), 16th in steals (118) and 18th in points (765). She helped lead the Tritons to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015. She left Eckerd as only the third player in program history to finish with over 700 points and 400 assists.
Kelifgen graduated from Eckerd with a degree in biology in 2015.
Kleifgen came to Marquette after spending the past seven seasons at Northern Kentucky. At MU, her primary duties will be recruiting, player development of guards, and scouting.
Marquette made history during the 2023-24 season with the best start in program history at 12-0. The Golden Eagles were one of 10 teams in the country to go undefeated in nonconference, including winning the Fort Meyers Tip-Off over Thanksgiving weekend. MU earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament with 23 wins and finished tied for third at 11-7 in the BIG EAST with St. John's and Villanova.
The Golden Eagles were one of the best in the nation at sharing the ball, averaging 17.9 assists per game to rank top 20 in the country. Marquette finished top 25 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.22). Senior guard Rose Nkumu finished first in the BIG EAST and sixth in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio.
MU shot 50-percent-or-better from the floor 11 times and finished top 40 in the nation in FG percentage (44.8 percent). The Golden Eagles were among the nation’s best from deep, shooting 36.3 percent from beyond the arc to rank top 20 in the nation and second in the BIG EAST. Sophomore guard Mackenzie Hare was first in the BIG EAST and 13th in the nation with 91 made threes on the season.
Kleifgen spent six seasons as the recruiting coordinator at Northern Kentucky and was promoted to associate head coach for the 2022-23 season. At NKU, her responsibilities included scouting, player development and on-court duties. Additionally, she served as the program’s academic liaison and ran the program’s team camps.
While at Northern Kentucky, Kleifgen helped lead the Norse to their first-ever 20-win season at the Division I level in 2019-20. In 2021-22, she assisted the team en route to a 21-8 record, the program’s best Division I record.
Kelifgen recruited and helped coach several Norse players that went on to earn all-conference honors, including Lindsey Duvall who was named to the Horizon League First Team in 2023. Duvall earned Horizon League Second Team honors in 2021 and 2022.
With deep recruiting ties in the Midwest, Kelifgen helped bring forward Grayson Rose to Northern Kentucky from Garrettsville, Ohio. Rose earned Horizion League All-Defensive honors in 2021 and became the first player in program history to be named Horizion League Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.
As the team’s academic liaison, Kelifgen helped the team earn several academic accolades. Forward Kailey Coffey was a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District Team selection, becoming the first to receive the honor in program history. She was also a Horizon League All-Academic Team selection from 2019-2021.
Prior to NKU, Kelifgen spent one year at Kentucky as the team’s staff support associate. She assisted the Wildcat staff with daily operations in the office and assisted with basketball camps at Kentucky, Lipscomb and The Next Level Basketball Camp.
As a player, Kleifgen was a four-year player at Eckerd College. She tied Eckerd’s career mark by appearing in 110 games over her career. She ranks second on the Tritons’ all-time list in assists (406), sixth in made free throws (267), 12th in free-throw percentage (.740), 14th in made three-pointers (67), 15th in three-point percentage (.310), 16th in steals (118) and 18th in points (765). She helped lead the Tritons to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015. She left Eckerd as only the third player in program history to finish with over 700 points and 400 assists.
Kelifgen graduated from Eckerd with a degree in biology in 2015.
Highlights: MU 76, JMU 80 (OT) (3/23/25)
Monday, March 24
WBIT Postgame Presser: Cara Consuegra (3/23/25)
Sunday, March 23
Postgame Interview: Marquette HC Cara Consuegra on ESPN+ (3/20/25)
Saturday, March 22
WBIT Postgame Presser: Marquette's Cara Consuegra & Halle Vice (3/20/25)
Friday, March 21
