Veronica

Burton

In the Valkyries’ first-ever home playoff game, the 2025 Most Improved Player recipient put on a well-rounded performance in front of the home crowd. Burton struggled late with her shooting, but shot more efficiently overall than she did in Game 1. Additionally, she remained effective as a rebounder and had a greatly impactful role as a facilitator, ultimately finishing one assist shy of a double-double. Burton also thrived on the defensive end — here, she tallied a game-high in steals and combined for five stocks. Her production ultimately wasn’t enough to keep Golden State’s season alive, but the future for both Burton and the Valkyries appears to be high after a successful season.

The Valkyries made history this season, becoming the first expansion team to earn a trip to the postseason in its inaugural season. And Burton was a critical contributor for Golden State, averaging 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 three-pointers in 29.4 minutes per game. Burton received 68 first-place votes, with Los Angeles’ Azurá Stevens receiving two and Atlanta’s Allisha Gray and Minnesota’s Natisha Hiedeman each receiving one. Golden State hosts Minnesota in Game 2 of their first-round series on Wednesday.

Burton had a well-rounded performance in the Valkyries’ first-ever playoff game. She tied a team-high in points and led Golden State in steals and assists. Yet, despite a full box score, Burton struggled from the field and turned the basketball over seven times. She’ll likely need to be a bit more productive in Wednesday’s Game 2 if she wants to lead her team to a series-deciding Game 3 in Minnesota.

Burton was one of several Golden State players to struggle with shooting efficiency on Thursday. She made just two shots on the night and failed to record a three-point make for the second game in a row. Yet, she generated nearly half of her team’s 15 assists while tying a season-high in steals. Burton will get a chance to secure a more efficient shooting performance on Sunday when these two teams meet again in the postseason for Game 1 of their opening round matchup.

While Burton struggled with her shot on Tuesday, she was excellent as a distributor. She’s hit double figures in assists eight times in her career, with each occurring during the 2025 season. The move to Golden State has resulted in Burton taking on the most prominent role of her WNBA career, and she’s made the most of the opportunity. Burton’s play throughout the season is why the Valkyries are headed to the playoffs in the franchise’s first season, something few predicted before the season began.

On a night when Golden State struggled on the offensive end, Burton was one of the team’s most productive players. The do-it-all guard was one of two Valkyries players to shoot at least 50.0 percent from the field. Additionally, she led the team in assists and had one of the highest plus-minus ratings (+4) among Golden State players. Her production ultimately was not enough to extend the Valkyries’ win streak to six games. They’ll look to get back on track when they face the Storm on Tuesday.

After starting slowly, Burton stepped up when the Valkyries needed her most Thursday night. The point guard scored nine of her 15 points during the fourth quarter, seven of which were tallied in the game’s final 22.3 seconds. One of the most improved players in the WNBA this season, Burton helped shut the door on the Wings and deliver the Valkyries the franchise’s first postseason berth in its inaugural season. After totaling 14 points on 4-of-18 from the field in Golden State’s two prior games, Burton had a better shooting night against the lottery-bound Wings.

Despite not shooting the basketball well on Tuesday, Burton still had a positive impact against the Liberty. She led the Valkyries in rebounds and assists, with numbers high enough in those two statistical categories to nearly obtain a double-double. Burton has averaged 10.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 2.0 blocks per game during Golden State’s four-game winning streak. If she can remain consistent as a scorer, she’ll have a chance to put up robust stat lines down the home stretch of the regular season.

While Burton didn’t score in double digits on Sunday night, that didn’t render her any less effective. She had 13 assists — her seventh game this season with double-digit assists. Burton found six different teammates, including four of Iliana Rupert’s field goals and three of Janelle Salaün’s field goals. She also found Kaila Charles, Kate Martin, Carla Leite and Temi Fágbénlé for scores of their own. Burton assisted eight of the Valkyries total 12 three-point makes. She also led her team in rebounding along with Charles. Burton’s three made shots were all on drives off the bounce that got her right to the rim.

After attempting at least 10 shots in five of Golden State’s prior six games, Burton was only responsible for five official attempts on Saturday. However, that did not negate her effectiveness, as the guard attempted seven free throws to boost the point tally while recording a complete stat line. While most have been focused on the Most Valuable Player race when discussing postseason awards, Burton has an excellent case to win Most Improved Player. Being selected by Golden State in the expansion draft has done wonders for the guard, an unquestioned focal point as the franchise looks to make the postseason in its first season.