Valkyries' Kayla Thornton returns to site of her greatest WNBA success
The now- Golden State Valkyries forward will get her championship ring seven months after winning her first career title, and five months after she learned she would spend her 13th WNBA season in the Bay Area.
Over the first three games in franchise history, Thornton has quietly been the Valkyries' most consistent player. She notched the team's first-ever double-double in the win over Los Angeles on Friday with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Amid the excitement around the early performances from rookies Janelle Salaün and Carla Leite, Thornton's solid start to her Valkyries tenure has gone less noticed. One of the Liberty's key playoff pieces a season ago, Thornton makes her first return to Brooklyn since she was selected by the Valkyries in the expansion draft this week as Golden State plays two against the defending champs.
The Valkyries are playing better than many expected and Thornton's stability has been a big reason why.
'I don't change who I am,' she told the Chronicle on Monday. 'My role is different, but I'm the same person as if I was in New York playing the role I was playing. Being back here now, it is emotional, but I gotta bottle that up. It's time to get to business.'
An undrafted free agent out of Texas-El Paso, Thornton leads the Valkyries (2-1) with 30.5 minutes per contest and 6.3 rebounds and is second with 12.7 points per game, behind just Salaün, who has played in two games.
She is also second with 2.3 steals per game and her 91.7 offensive rating is third-best on the team of players who have played in every contest, while her 91.5 defensive rating trails just Leite, even with Thornton's 12 more minutes per game.
Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin helped build the Liberty championship team as their assistant general manager. She was on staff when New York traded for Thornton, and knew how she would fit in with what she wanted to build with the expansion club.
'I knew I had a very big responsibility because I understood what I was taking her from, I didn't take the decision lightly,' Nyanin said. 'I didn't speak to her prior to the decision, and just kind of hoped that she would be able to see the vision that I had for her and that we had for her more specifically, and to be able to see her on a billboard, whether it be in the NBA All Star Game, for her to shoot the first shot and have her first double-double in our colors together to see her smile, to see her right now be totally locked into everything that we are throwing at her has been a huge blessing.'
The 32-year-old was last a full-time starter in 2023, when she started 35 games while averaging 8.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game with Dallas. She took on a bench role and the Liberty acquired her before the 2023 season, when Thornton started 11 games but was a key defender and 3-point shooter off the bench.
'We love KT,' said Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello. 'We knew we were gonna lose someone in the expansion draft, and no surprise that's who they took because she's such a great culture person, great leader and competes at such a high level. She's loved here. We certainly miss her, but we're excited that she gets this great opportunity to lead a new team.'
Her 3-point game has been the only thing missing so far this season as she has opened 3-for-23 from range. Last season, she shot a career-best 35.7% from distance on a career-high 126 shots.
Thoronton's defense, though, is what earned her big postseason minutes. She played 20:32 off the bench in the Liberty's Game 5 overtime win over Minnesota last season.
'We love her here,' said Liberty guard and Walnut Creek native Sabrina Ionescu on Monday. 'We know what she brought to our team, and we're excited that she's kind of been killing it in her role on her new team.'
Like they are of many players, the Valkyries are asking for a lot from Thornton to step out of a specific role and into a leadership position. Through three games, she's embraced the larger responsibility and challenge going from a championship bench threat to a key cog of an expansion team.
'It's mixed emotions,' she said 'The last thing I remember doing (at the Liberty practice facility) is taking pictures with the trophy. It's joy and sadness, but looking at everything (the Liberty) did and everything we're doing now.'
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