SAN FRANCISCO \u2014 The vibe in Ballhalla is different. Compared with Golden State Warriors games, Chase Center boasts a heartier roar when draped in Valkyries violet. Dancing. Chanting. Yelling. Novelty still exists. Excitement still rings organic. The crowd is proactive with its influence. It rewards productivity with delirium.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s fuel for Kayla Thornton. She inhales it. Absorbs it. Her personal reserves never seem to exhaust. Yet, replenishment is steady at Golden State. Always one shot, one rebound, one hustle play away from having adrenaline poured into her by the arena.<\/p>\n
Friday night, Thornton\u2019s cup filled to the brim in Golden State\u2019s 83-78 win over Chicago. A lathered Chase Center audience. The hype of Angel Reese, one of the league\u2019s magnetic stars, added some spice. And Thornton could still feel the sting of the gut-punch loss to her former team<\/a> Wednesday. So she was on one. Her motor pushed to its highest gear.<\/p>\n During the decisive run against Chicago, Thornton grabbed a rebound in traffic and blistered up the middle of the court for a one-woman fast break. The Sky\u2019s Ariel Atkins, a quality defender, was the lone obstacle. After weaving in and out, turning around Atkins, Thornton lofted a runner off the glass for the bucket. It capped a 9-0 Valkyries run and forced a Chicago timeout. And Thornton turned to the crowd, flexing as she yelled.<\/p>\n KT just high-fived the whole front row after scoring her career-high 25 points \ud83d\udc80#VotetheValks<\/a> \u2192 https:\/\/t.co\/WZuW5XvBec<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/fEoiDdAjXA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) June 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n She produced a career-high 29 points, needing just 30 minutes and 15 shots to get them. It powered Golden State\u2019s return to the win column. And it continued the validation of Thornton, who at 32 years old and in her 10th WNBA season, has found a new peak for her game.<\/p>\n \u201cFeels good,\u201d she said, flashing her trademark wide smile. \u201cI put a lot of work in on the offseason, and to see it flourish and to have my coaches give me the confidence to do that, it\u2019s just great. I don\u2019t do anything that is spectacular. I\u2019m still just doing the blue-collar work. But doing it more.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s enough to make you wonder how she was even available to the expansion Valkyries. But the truth is, Thornton caught lightning in a bottle with Golden State. It\u2019s an ideal match between player and franchise. Both with something to prove. Both defiantly rejecting expectations.<\/p>\n The Valkyries\u2019 inaugural roster needs everything from every player on the roster. And Thornton doesn\u2019t know how to play another way.<\/p>\n \u201cIt goes beyond basketball,\u201d Valkyries guard Kate Martin said. \u201cShe\u2019s a tremendous person. She\u2019s somebody you want to be around all the time. She\u2019s a great leader in the locker room, a great friend. So it\u2019s really fun whenever she\u2019s all of that, but also a phenomenal basketball player. You can learn a lot from KT and how she plays.\u201d<\/p>\n Thornton went undrafted out of UTEP in 2014. She didn\u2019t make a roster until 2015 with the Washington Mystics. She was out of the WNBA for 2016 before landing with the Dallas Wings in 2017. Thornton found a home in Dallas, spending six seasons there. She started more than 70 percent of the games but averaged double-figures just once. Dallas never had a winning season in her six years. However, she did put up 20 points in a playoff win over Connecticut in 2022.<\/p>\n The Wings sent Thornton to New York along with Jonquel Jones in a three-team trade in 2023. With the Liberty, Thornton held a smaller role. She was primarily a reserve for New York and saw a significant decrease in minutes. But she contributed to winning. The Liberty made the WNBA Finals in each of her two seasons, winning the franchise\u2019s first championship last season.<\/p>\n That\u2019s what made the Valkyries\u2019 loss to the Liberty on Wednesday sting a little more. Thornton is only with Golden State because New York chose not to protect her from the expansion draft. Like a true competitor, she wanted to beat the team that deemed her expendable.<\/p>\n But the move has worked wonders for Thornton, who has the liberty to flex her full game. She\u2019s got all the minutes and shots she can handle. Thornton now has four 20-point games this season. She had six in her career before joining the Valkyries. She has the responsibility for which she\u2019s been worthy but never granted.<\/p>\n Thornton is filling in the role of a first option and doing so capably. So much so, her team is above .500 (8-7), holding the No. 6 seed in the W, and she\u2019s getting All-Star buzz for the first time.<\/p>\n A big W & a new number to beat for @KBT_5Blessed<\/a> \ud83d\ude24#VotetheValks<\/a> \u2192 https:\/\/t.co\/WZuW5XvBec<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/7HrFDwZYpm<\/a><\/p>\n