Forward Kayla Thornton may have been the last player picked in the WNBA All-Star Game draft, added to captain Caitlin Clark’s roster, but she’s certainly not the least. Clark said she’s had her eye on Thornton, much like the rest of the league as the expansion Golden State Valkyries have put everyone on notice in their inaugural season.
‘I wanted Kayla Thornton on my team. I think you got to give her a lot of credit for what Golden State accomplished this year,’ Clark said during the 2025 WNBA All-Star draft on July 8. ‘Obviously being an expansion team, you never know how it’s going to go. They’ve had an absolutely tremendous season and she’s had a tremendous season. I’m happy for her and excited for her. I’m glad she can be on our team.’
Thornton, who played her college ball at UTEP, picked up the first All-Star nod in her 10-year career after being named a reserve by the league’s 13 head coaches. With the selection, Thornton became the first player to be named an All-Star as a member of a first-year team since Candice Dupree did so with the Chicago Sky in 2006, further highlighting the Valkyries’ unprecedented start.
‘It’s a long time coming. I’m just thankful for my teammates,’ said Thornton, who is averaging 15.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 19 games this season. ‘Without them I wouldn’t be an All-Star, without my coaches I wouldn’t be an All-Star. I’m just grateful.’
WNBA expansion teams haven’t gotten off to the best starts in recent years. The Atlanta Dream went 4-30 in their inaugural season in 2008. The Chicago Sky went 5-29 in 2006. The Indiana Fever went 9-23 in their first season in 2000. The Seattle Storm went 6-26 in 2000.
You get the point.
The Valkyries, however, are rewriting that narrative and have proven themselves early. Under the tutelage of head coach Natalie Nakase, Golden State has opened its first season 10-9 as the All-Star break quickly approaches. The Valkyries notched their 10th win of the season on the road against the newly-minted Commissioner’s Cup champion Indiana Fever— Golden State’s second win of the season against the Fever — to become only the third expansion team in WNBA history to pick up its 10th victory in 20 games or less.
‘From the outside looking in it’s great to hear all that positivity, but for us we hold the standard,’ Nakase said. ‘We set out to win every game.’
The Valkyries have succeeded with their grit and defensive prowess. Golden State ranks second in the WNBA in defensive rating (97.3 points allowed per 100 possessions), trailing only the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. The Valkyries top the WNBA in rebounding (37.4 per game) and have allowed opponents the fewest paint points per game (28.1).
Golden State has three players — Thornton, Tiffany Hayes and Veronica Burton — averaging double figure in scoring. Thornton also leads the Valkyries in rebounding with 7.1 a game.
Nakase has also leaned on her team’s championship experience and ability to compete early on. The Valkyries’ inaugural roster includes four WNBA champions — center Temi Fagbenle and forward Cecilia Zandalasini (Minnesota Lynx, 2017); center/forward Iliana Rupert (Las Vegas Aces, 2022) and Thornton (New York Liberty, 2024). ‘We’re a team of sixth women,” Fagbenle said. “We come from different teams around the league. We know what it takes to be great teammates and we know what it takes to step up and do what we need to do for the team to succeed.
‘That’s really the strength of our team.’
More history could be on the horizon for the Valkyries. Golden State is looking to become the first expansion team to make the playoffs in its inaugural season since the Detroit Shock in 1998.
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