What Valkyries Saw in Liberty Champion

Kayla Thornton is moving onto the Bay Area after two seasons with the New York Liberty.

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

San Francisco saw gold in the New York Liberty's sixth woman.

Metropolitan reserve Kayla Thornton is bound for the West Coast after Friday night, which saw her land among the 11 women chosen by the Golden State Valkyries in their WNBA expansion draft, the first of its kind since the Atlanta Dream's entry in 2008.

Golden State was allowed its pick from a list of assets from the league's existing 12 teams, who were allowed to protect six women each. Thornton stands as one of the headliners next to Kate Martin (Las Vegas) and Julie Vanloo (Washington) on a list that included one player from every team with the exception of the Seattle Storm.

"I'm definitely more excited about being teammates with her now than being opponents," Martin said after the selections were unveiled in San Francisco. "She's a force to be reckoned with. She can play really good defense, and can also be a killer shooter from the corner, but she can also get downhill in a hurry. She's obviously a really good player and I'm definitely looking forward to being on the same side as her."

Golden State brass that spoke on Friday is well-versed in Thornton's game: head coach Natalie Nakase had to go up against her as an assistant with the Las Vegas Aces in each of the last two postseasons and selections were overseen by general manager Ohemaa Nyanin, who helped engineer the trade that sent Thornton to New York from Dallas.

Jun 25, 2024; Belmont Park, New York, USA; New York Liberty forward Kayla Thornton (5) grabs a rebound against the Minnesota Lynx in the first quarter of the Commissioner’s Cup Championship game at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Nyanin, the Liberty's former director of basketbal operations an assistant general manager said that perusing New York's list was "the hardest" after being so familiar with the championship puzzle. Thornton, however, aligned perfectly with the joint vision she has formed with Nakase.

"She is a defensive specialist. She has grown her game to be able to shoot the three. She is a ball of energy. She's a vet vet," Nyanin explained. "She knows how to bring people together and I'm realy excited ... just to continue and have a conversation with her and kind of see how we move forward."

Of note, Thornton, who turned 32 on the day the Liberty secured their first postseason championship in October (playing over 20 minutes in the do-or-die Game 5 win over Minnesota), is the most experienced player on the Valkyries' roster, set to enter her 10th season of WNBA service. Thornton began her career as an undrafted free agent out of UTEP with the Washington Mystics in 2015 before playing six seasons with the Dallas Wings.

Nakase said that the defensive reputation that Thornton has established over the past near-decade made her a "priceless" addition to the proceedings.

"It was just really, really hard to be able to get by her and try to get to the paint," Nakase recalled from her scouting in Sin City. "She played in really, really crucial minutes in the Finals and that, to me, is priceless ... When her name's called, she steps up. She's a defensive specialist, she can space the floor. But, like you guys have all seen, she's a competitor."

New York will have an opportunity to properly thank Thornton on May 27 when the Valkyries descend upon Atlantic Avenue for the first time. Thornton will also receive her championship ring prior to tip-off.

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