Each team in the WNBA could protect six players in the expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries. That limit left the New York Liberty with a major problem: They couldn’t avoid losing a key piece of their championship roster.
Protecting the starting five of Sabrina Ionescu, Leonie Fiebich, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones was an easy decision. The sixth player was widely expected to be Nyara Sabally to ensure that the Valkyries don’t select one of the few young players on the Liberty’s roster. Even before the expansion draft there was little doubt that the Valkyries would take Kayla Thornton from the Liberty.
They did, and the veteran has wasted no time proving that the Valkyries nailed that pick.
Kayla Thornton has been a big part of the Valykries’ success
Somewhat surprisingly, the Valkyries currently have a winning record. The home opener ended in a tough loss to the Los Angeles Sparks but after that, the Valkyries went on to get two massive victories. The third game of the season was especially encouraging, as the Valkyries beat the Sparks without veterans Tiffany Hayes, Monique Billings, and Cecilia Zandalasini. The main storyline of that game was French rookies Carla Leite and Janelle Salaün stepping up in a major way.
Kayla Thornton has also been a big part of the Valkyries’ early success, though. Thornton is currently the Valkyries’ second-leading scorer, leads the team in rebounds and blocks, and ranks second in steals per game. Against the Sparks, she logged the first double-double in franchise history and got her hands on four steals.
Thornton is a championship veteran who knows what it takes to win and is used to doing whatever her team needs from her. The latter is what made her such an important part of the Liberty’s title run. It’s also what makes her such an integral part of this first-ever Valkyries’ roster. Thornton may not be a star player, but she can step up when needed.
Her impact goes way beyond the court too, though. Thornton has the experience necessary to help guide her younger teammates and has seemingly taken rookie Carla Leite under her wing. Being a rookie in the WNBA is never easy, but it is especially difficult when you have to move to a new country and sometimes struggle with the language. In that case, having a good veteran around to help can make the difference between a successful rookie campaign and an emotionally draining season.
The one thing Kayla Thornton should improve during her time with the Valkyries is her shooting efficiency. Both her field goal and 3-point percentages are currently well below her career averages.