Kayla Thornton’s Emergence as an All-Star
We are now past the All-Star break, and the performance of the Golden State Valkyries is one of the biggest surprise stories so far this year. They currently sit in ninth place with a 10-12 record, firmly fighting for a playoff spot at the halfway point of the season.
One of the main reasons behind the team’s success is the elevation in play from Kayla Thornton, a veteran player who went from being undrafted in 2014 to becoming a star in 2025. As a matter of fact, her star status this season was good enough to earn her the accolade of her first All-Star selection, becoming the team’s first All-Star in franchise history.
This season, Thornton is averaging 14.0 points per game (PPG), 7.0 rebounds per game (RPG), 1.5 assists per game (APG), and 1.3 steals per game (SPG) while enjoying a breakout season in what has been a unique journey of a WNBA career.
Thornton’s WNBA Journey
After going undrafted, Thornton did not play a minute in the WNBA until 2015 with the Washington Mystics. But, she hardly played for the team that season, playing in 10 games and averaging 8.8 minutes per game (MPG).
Thornton’s WNBA career did not truly take off until her stint with the Dallas Wings. After not playing in the 2016 season, she joined Dallas ahead of the 2017 season and spent six seasons with the franchise.
Per Across the Timeline, she averaged 8.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.5 APG during her Wings tenure. In 2019, Thornton averaged 10.4 PPG, which is the only other season in which she averaged both double-digit points and double-digit field goal attempts (10.7).
Thornton was a starter for the majority of the games that she played with Dallas and was a key player for the franchise as they transitioned into a new era of basketball with the arrival of players such as Arike Ogunbowale, Satou Sabally, Allisha Gray, and Marina Mabrey. However, in Thornton’s six seasons with Dallas, the team only won one playoff game and did not win a playoff series with a 1-5 record in playoff games.
Before the 2023 season, Thornton was involved in a massive three-team trade between the Wings, Connecticut Sun, and New York Liberty that saw Jonquel Jones go from the Sun to the Liberty. New York also landed Thornton in that deal, and her experience with the Liberty proved to be a very successful one.
Thornton spent two seasons with the Liberty, primarily serving as a reserve player while averaging 4.5 PPG in 2023 and 5.5 PPG in 2024, which were her lowest PPG averages since 2015. But, she was able to play alongside two All-WNBA superstars in Jones and Breanna Stewart, and experienced a lot of team success – especially in the postseason.
New York made both the 2023 and 2024 WNBA Finals; they fell to the Las Vegas Aces in 2023, but defeated the Minnesota Lynx in 2024 to win the first championship in franchise history. Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello has raved about Thornton during her time in New York and even after, describing her as a winner and high-energy player.
Sandy Brondello compliments the role Kayla Thornton played today — saying she may not be a high usage player, but that she always brings effort and energy and “she’s a winner.”
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) May 27, 2023
Sandy Brondello on Kayla Thornton: “Obviously tough losing KT, she brought so much to our team. She was 3-and-D, but more than that. She brought energy to our team, she was loved by the fans. She always gave 120 percent.” (Q: @bheyman99)
— Myles (@MylesEhrlich) May 27, 2025
After the Liberty ended the season as the last team standing, the Valkyries held their expansion draft in the offseason and selected Thornton. Now, she is in the middle of the best season of her WNBA career.
Enjoying an All-Star Season
This season, Thornton is averaging career-highs in field goals made (4.5) and field goal attempts (12.5), while going to the free-throw line at a higher rate with career-high marks in free throws made (3.1) and free throws attempted (3.7).
Thornton is a tough two-way player for teams to go up against. She can hurt teams with her three-point shooting capability and strong drives to the basket, and she can also hurt them with her on-ball pressure and ability to disrupt passes on the defensive end of the floor.
Kayla Thornton is taking charge to open the half
She’s up to 7 PTS in the 3Q!
GSV-PHX | WNBA Commissioner’s Cup presented by @coinbase pic.twitter.com/ze3xq7bsLK
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 6, 2025
One area of improvement for Thornton this season is her performance from deep. She is shooting 28.2 percent from three-point range, which is her lowest three-point shooting percentage since shooting 27.2 percent in 2019. She is getting three-point attempts up at a career-best rate, averaging 6.5 attempts per game, which is on brand for the team that she plays for.
The Valkyries have attempted the most three-point shots this season, but are only shooting 30.7 percent, which is second-to-last in the WNBA. Even though the three-point shooting has generally not been stellar, Golden State is committed to having three-point shooting as a key piece of the team’s identity, and Thornton has led the way in that department.
Her efforts this season also earned her the Western Conference Player of the Week honor for games played between June 9-15, a stretch where she averaged 20.0 PPG and 11.5 rebounds across two games, leading the Valkyries to victory in both contests.
Thornton has provided both experience and stability during a season in which the team has had players go in and out of the lineup due to injuries, international competition, and roster transactions. Her performance this season has been a positive light and has kept the Valkyries afloat, despite the uncertainty and wavering chemistry among players. Thornton’s leadership has been meaningful for them, especially for the younger players on the team like Janelle Salaün and Carla Leite. Her leadership presence has not gone unnoticed by the likes of Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase, and her teammate Kate Martin.
Natalie Nakase appreciates the leadership from Kayla Thornton and how they lean on her down the stretch. pic.twitter.com/spi4NmVYPA
— Matt Lively (@mattblively) June 28, 2025
“She’s a tremendous person. She’s somebody you want to be around all the time. She’s a great leader in the locker room, a great friend. It’s really fun whenever she’s all of that — but also a phenomenal basketball player.”
Kate Martin with very high praise of Kayla Thornton pic.twitter.com/TvNgFhN3y4
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) June 28, 2025
Before the start of the inaugural season, the Valkyries organization spoke about the desire to immediately be a competitive team and win a championship within the first five years of the franchise. The championship mindset that Thornton came away with from her time in New York matches that of Golden State’s in what the franchise wishes to one day become.
Thornton’s success with New York helped set the stage for a compatible relationship between her and the new expansion team. The Valkyries have outperformed outside expectations to the point that they are not seen as an expansion team, but as simply a good team. Look at where they stand.
But for the final half of the regular season, Golden State is going to need more of that production from Thornton and her teammates. The Valkyries entered the All-Star break losing five of their last six games, finding themselves outside of playoff seeding. But this team has a real chance to make the playoffs in the inaugural season, and it is an opportunity that they are not looking to squander.
Who knows what the future holds as it relates to Thornton’s time in Golden State. But so far, she has been the team’s MVP, is officially an All-Star, and has emerged as one of the great stories of the 2025 season.
Stats as of July 23. Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of WNBA.com.
The post Kayla Thornton’s Emergence as an All-Star appeared first on Winsidr.
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