Kayla Wood

Personal: Wood majored in sociology at North Carolina. She was named to the women’s lacrosse coaching staff at Princeton University on August 11, 2023. Wood was a three-sport athlete at Catonsville High School and earned Under Armour Lacrosse All-America honors. She lists her father, Scott, as a person who has made a difference in her life. Wood competed in track and field, soccer, and basketball as a child and was also involved in band, the art honor society, the National Honor Society, and various volunteer programs. She enjoys drawing, going on hikes and walks, spending time with friends and family, and working out. Wood chose to wear No. 45 in honor of Michael Jordan, who also donned the number during his professional playing career.

2023 Season: Wood secured a 24th place finish after collecting 938 leaderboard points in her third professional campaign. She was a starter in 6 out of 12 games and collected 15 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers. Wood grabbed a season-high three ground balls against Team Colson on July 30, in addition to matching her season high with three caused turnovers. She also established a season high with three caused turnovers in the season opener against Team Moreno. Wood posted 100 or more leaderboard points in a game four times, setting her season high with 153 points against Team Bosco in the Week Four opener.

2022 Season: Wood appeared in nine games but missed Week Three due to an injury. She accumulated a total of 809 leaderboard points, with her highest scoring game being in Week Two against Team Johansen, where she earned 129 points. Throughout the season, Wood had six caused turnovers and five ground balls. She consistently scored 100 or more points in each of the three games during Week Two.

2021 Season: Wood finished with 1,561 leaderboard points. She had seven games with 100 or more points and ranked third in the league with 1,190 win points. Wood was selected as a captain three times, alongside Kylie Ohlmiller and Dempsey Arsenault. She recorded 500 or more leaderboard points in a single week and had a strong start to the season with 501 points in Week One. Wood tied for the league lead with 16 quarter victories as a captain and held the top spot on the individual leaderboard for two separate weeks. She also excelled in draw controls, recording 35 for the season, and ranked eighth in the league with 27 ground balls. Wood scored one goal and had one assist throughout the season.

International Experience: Wood has also represented Team USA, playing at the 2021 USA Lacrosse Fall Classic and being a member of the training team for the 2022 World Championship squad.

At North Carolina: Wood played for the North Carolina Tar Heels for four years. She appeared in 66 games, starting 33 of them. Wood had 49 ground balls and 58 draw controls during her college career. She helped lead the Tar Heels to the NCAA Division I semifinals three times and ranked fifth on the team with 11 caused turnovers during her senior season. As a freshman, Wood started 20 out of 21 games.