Cayla Barnes

Quick Facts

• Position: Defender
• Daughter of Michelle Church and Scott Barnes
• Has four brothers, Matthew, Aaron, Nicholas and Ryan
• 2024 NCAA champion with Ohio State
• Became the first player to win three gold medals with the U.S. U18 national team (2015, 2016, 2017) 

Biographical Information

Cayla Barnes started playing hockey at age 3. Growing up in California, Barnes played youth hockey with the Anaheim Ducks and LA Kings select teams, and after watching the Olympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010 at age 11, she hoped to one day play on the U.S. national team.

As a teenager, she relocated to the East Coast to pursue her hockey dreams, attending prep school at New Hampton School in New Hampshire, and then Boston College, where she played four seasons of college hockey. 

At age 19, she was the youngest member of the U.S. women’s hockey team when they won gold at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.  Since the PyeongChang Games, Barnes has been on six IIHF World Championship teams and two more Olympic teams, including her selection for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.  She finished off her college career at Ohio State University, winning the 2024 NCAA title in women’s hockey. 

Professionally, Barnes plays in the PWHL for the Seattle Torrent alongside Team USA teammates Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter, who also joined the Torrent for their inaugural season. 

Off the ice, Barnes enjoys hiking, paddleboarding, swimming and tubing.

Olympic Experience

• 2-time Olympian; 2-time Olympic medalist (1 gold, 1 silver)
  • Olympic Games Beijing 2022, silver (Team - Women)
  • Olympic Games Pyeongchang 2018, gold (Team - Women)

World Championships Experience

• Most recent: 2025 – gold (Team - Women)
• Years of participation: Team - Women 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• Medals: 6 (3 gold, 3 silver)
  • Gold – 2025 (Team - Women); 2023 (Team - Women); 2019 (Team - Women)
  • Silver – 2024 (Team - Women); 2022 (Team - Women); 2021 (Team - Women)