Liberty Champion's Breakout Season Ends in Golden State
A breakout season for former New York Liberty star Kayla Thornton has come to an unfortunate end.
The Golden State Valkyries announced on Friday that Thornton, a member of the Liberty's first postseason championship squad, underwent successful knee surgery that will keep out of the remainder of this season. Thornton was injured during practice earlier this week and "will begin the rehabilitation process immediately."
Thornton, 32, spent the prior two seasons with the Liberty, coming to New York in the multi-pronged deal that also acquired Jonquel Jones. She established herself as a reliable sixth woman and shutdown defender in Brooklyn, culminating in 20 strong minutes off the bench in the clinching victory of last fall's WNBA Finals.
All that and more led Golden State to select Thornton in December's expansion draft, which also featured current New Yorker Stephanie Talbot. An instant staple in the Valkyries' original starting five, Thornton helped the Valkyries get off to a sterling start: she ends this season averaging 14 points, seven rebounds, and 1.3 steals.
All that and more was enough to land Thornton her first WNBA All-Star Game invite, becoming the first such representative in Valkyries history. She had a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double after she was chosen by Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark's squad, which saw her reunite with former New York teammate Sabrina Ionescu.
The Liberty face Golden State one more time this season, as they'll go back to Chase Center on Sept. 2. Thornton made her return to Brooklyn in May when the Valkyries played a de facto doubleheader at Barclays Center and was warmly welcomed by her former adoring public. Prior to tip-off, she was bestowed the championship ring she earned last year and was embraced warmly by her former teammates before they did battle.
"She has passed my expectations in terms of stepping up when we need a leading scorer, stepping up when we need a leading defender, or when I need to send a message to the team," Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase said prior to the first meeting between Thornton's past and present employers on May 27. "She always has my back, and she re-vocalizes things that I say. I'm just really grateful to have KT with us."
Entering Friday night play, Golden State (10-12) is the first team off the WNBA playoff bracket, a half-game behind eighth-place Washington. They'll host the Dallas Wings in the Bay Area on Friday (10 p.m. ET, Ion) before tipping off a five-game road trip in Connecticut on Sunday.
Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.