Basketball ace Hannah Thornton sets sights on World Cup soccer glory with USA

The Killester National Cup winner has signed up to be the lead nutritionist for U.S Soccer and the U.S Women’s National Team.

Killester's Hannah Thornton celebrates winning the Domino's Women's Super League National Cup Final at the National Basketball Arena. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher

A league and cup double is the immediate with Killester is the immediate priority for Hannah Thornton.  But the Irish basketball international also has her sights on bigger prizes thanks to her work off the floor.

Thornton was instrumental in helping Killester win the Super League Cup last week, her seven points and 13 rebounds off the bench helping the league leaders over the line against Liffey Celtics.

She is well known on the floor in Ireland, having starred for her country and helped DCU Mercy and Killester win national titles. Thornton is also a high-performance nutritionist by trade and her career has already seen her work alongside world-class organisations including Chelsea FC, Newcastle United, and USA Swimming. 

Recently, Thornton has signed up to be the lead nutritionist for U.S Soccer and the U.S Women’s National Team. It’s a huge role, considering the the USA have won two of the past three World Cups and will be targetting gold at both the 2027 World Cup in Brazil and the home Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.

Thornton is excited about the scale of the opportunity ahead. “Obviously when you talk about World Cups or Olympic Games it’s exciting as they are delivered on the world stage. I’m excited because I’ve built my entire career around women’s sport and to be able to support the world’s top athletes is something I’m excited to do.” 

The expertise Thornton has developed comes from a mix of practical and professional experience. She earned a scholarship to play NCAA basketball before returning home to play in Ireland. Her curiosity around her own career has seen her embark on research around female physiology, biomarker-informed nutrition, and recovery optimisation.

Fortunately, Ireland has become a pioneering country in terms of sports science, and Thornton has recently been working with Orreco, a global leader in sports data. Orreco’s FitrWoman is used by many of the world’s top female athletes who are trying to find that extra 1% in performance.

“Working with Orreco has helped unlock a tool that helped me combine my love of research and data with a practical tool that helps female athletes prepare individualised plans suited to their own needs. It’s something that is still so underrepresented, so being able to make what can be complex seem a little bit more manageable is what has helped me so far. 

"I think players like listening to someone who understands both the science as well as the realities of trying to compete at the highest level.” 

So if it all comes to fruition for her and U.S. Soccer, how will that measure up to achieving on the floor?

“Last week was my first ever National Cup, and it was so special doing it with the most amazing group of girls. Nothing will ever replace being able to do it yourself on the floor and feel those amazing moments.

"But the reality for me is that if I’m ever going to be part of the biggest stage, it will be supporting others to realise their dreams. Hopefully I’ll be able to look back on it in a few years and give a better answer about how they compare."