Hornbuckle, born in Charleston and raised in nearby Dunbar, is one of West Virginia’s most successful basketball players. She began playing basketball and soccer at age four and by sixth grade dreamed of playing for the University of Tennessee. Hornbuckle led Capital High School and later South Charleston High School to four straight state championships from 2001 to 2004 and won the Mary Ostrowski Award as West Virginia’s top girls’ basketball player three times.

She played for Tennessee under legendary coach Pat Summitt, helping the Lady Vols win national championships in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, she was selected fourth overall in the WNBA draft by the Detroit Shock and helped the team win the league championship as a rookie. She later played for the Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury and spent parts of her career playing professionally overseas. Hornbuckle played 11 seasons as a professional and later became a basketball coach and private trainer.