Valkyries Forward Reacts to Joining Caitlin Clark's WNBA All-Star Team
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was named one of the two WNBA All-Star Game captains. Alongside Napheesa Collier, Clark drafted her All-Star team on Tuesday night.
The draft was broadcast on ESPN with analyst Malika Andrews as the host. Clark and Collier went back-and-forth, deliberating over each pick as they attempted to build out the perfect roster.
Clark made it clear she was looking for a nice balance of guards and frontcourt players, and was seemingly able to achieve that with who she selected. Among the players chosen by Clark was Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton, who is making her first WNBA All-Star Game appearance.
Team Clark just got a whole lot tougher. 🌟@KBT_5Blessed is officially on Team Clark for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com/fr9lyU8Ja6
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) July 8, 2025
Coincidentally, Indiana and Golden State will face off at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday. The game will feature four different All-Stars. In addition to Clark, Indiana will also be represented by Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell for the second straight season.
That All-Star trio will face off against Thornton and the rest of Golden State’s roster. Shortly after being selected to Clark’s All-Star team, Thornton reacted to the news by resharing it on her Instagram story.
A 10-year WNBA veteran, Thornton is having a career year in Golden State's inaugural season. She was selected in the Expansion Draft from the New York Liberty, and is averaging a career-high 14.9 points to go along with 7.1 rebounds, also a career-best.
Indiana and Golden State each enter Wednesday's contest with 9-9 records on the 2025 season. The Fever have played half their schedule with Clark sidelined, as she has missed nine games due to injury. Fortunately for Indiana, Clark’s return will take place on Wednesday, as she has officially been removed from the injury report.
Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.