Kayla Thornton’s new role as go-to player for Valkyries leads to an All-Star nod

Often, opportunity is earned or it’s seized.

Or in the case of Golden State Valkryies forward Kayla Thornton, it is just the next logical step in her 10th season as she breaks out of the “role player” mold.

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Thornton’s selection Sunday as an All-Star reserve for the first time in her career — making her the first All-Star in the expansion team’s history — is a testament to hard work, belief in her own abilities and the eventuality of success at a level that has gotten the attention of the entire league.

A complementary piece no more, Thornton is the Valkyries’ leading scorer, their veteran leader, the voice in the ear of the players on the floor. At the age of 32, she is now a go-to player.

“I don’t really look at it like that,” Thornton said to The Next. “People ask me that question a lot, as if something has changed, and I don’t see it that way. I do what I do. I’m doing what I’ve always done. I’m just doing more.”

The Texas El-Paso product was undrafted when she came into the league 10 years ago, signing with the Washington Mystics ahead of the 2015 season.

She spent six seasons toiling in Dallas (from 2016-2022) before being traded to the New York Liberty in 2023, just as the Liberty were veering hard toward title contention with the free-agent signings of Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones.

Playing behind Stewart and considered a heart-and-soul player off the bench, Thornton won a title with New York in 2024.

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That Thornton was left available to be taken by Golden State in the 2024 expansion draft speaks to the Liberty’s depth, and that she was snapped up quickly speaks to her ability to be a cornerstone player for the expansion team. Thornton’s was the first jersey, for example, that was sold in the team’s merchandise shop after the expansion draft.

On a deep team with a bevy of options on both ends of the floor, Thornton has started all 17 games for Golden State. She leads the team in minutes played (30.0 per game), scoring (14.9 points) and rebounds a game (7.1). She has scored in double figures in 15 of 17 games with five double-doubles (compared with six a year ago in New York), including Saturday’s 13-point, 10-rebound performance against Minnesota. She was named the Western Conference Player of the Week on June 17.

Steady and calm, experienced and poised, she is the Valkyries’ first tone-setter. If the Valkyries continue on a path to the playoffs in their inaugural season, Thornton’s identity-defining play and presence will be a big reason why.

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“KT is in the pocket of knowing who she is and who she is in this league and knowing that she can play to her strengths,” Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase said. “It is an opportunity for her to show her skill set. She was on a team in New York that had a lot of firepower and she was playing behind Stewie. It wasn’t that she wasn’t capable, but the mindset she has, the minutes she is playing, it can boost a player’s confidence. What she is doing now, that’s confidence.

“Our team knows the value of KT, her energy, her leadership, her rebounding, her defense.”

New York head coach Sandy Brondello, who told the media on Sunday in Brooklyn that she voted for Thornton to be on the All-Star team, said last week on the team’s visit to San Francisco that she was “so proud of Thornton” for the way that she has thrived in her new role at Golden State.

“She is one of my favorite players to coach,” Brondello said. “She is a selfless player who brings you high energy every single time. She was a ‘3 and a D’ for us. You see with the extra responsibilities what she is capable of doing. She played an important role for us last year and here’s she’s been able to expand it and it’s been so fun to see.”

Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu said Thornton’s breakout is “something we knew was possible the entire time.”

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There is no question in Nakase’s mind that Thornton has earned the All-Star nod.

“KT has closed out a lot of games for us, and she’s been so reliable down the stretch,” Nakase said.
Thornton said the key to her success is her mindset, saying the way she comes to the floor to do her business is very important.

“I will do whatever my team needs me to do, to be what I need to be for this team,” Thornton said. “Whether it’s scoring, or getting a deflection. I have always said it’s about staying ready and being the best version of myself that I can be.”

The Next’s Jackie Powell contributed reporting to this story.