In a season full of firsts for the expansion Golden State Valkyries, guard Veronica Burton added another.
On Monday, Burton was named the WNBA’s most improved player, becoming the first Valkyries player to win a major regular-season award.
The 5-foot-9 point guard burst onto the scene in an increased role with the expansion Valkyries. Burton, 25, was the only player on the Valkyries to start in all 44 games with averages of 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.
She is the first player in WNBA history to improve her per-game averages by over eight points, four assists and two rebounds compared to the prior season.
Burton, who previously played with Connecticut and Dallas, started just 20 of her 107 career games through her first three seasons.
“Opportunity is a big thing, and it’s a big factor in this league and I’ve been grateful to have an opportunity to play and compete,” Burton told the Bay Area News Group earlier this season. “I’ve had a coaching staff and teammates that instill a lot of confidence in me, and that goes a long way in terms of success on court, and so just a lot of work and repetition. But also just opportunity and trust as well.”
Burton, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 draft by the Wings, has thrived in the Valkyries’ system and has been a big reason why Golden State made the playoffs in its inaugural season.
She finished third in assists per game (6.0) and was the only player with three or more games with 10+ assists and no turnovers.
Burton won the same award from the Associated Press on Friday. Fellow teammate Janelle Salaün was named to the AP all-rookie team and Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase was tabbed as coach of the year.
“I’m just grateful,” Burton said on Saturday. “I think our team is full of most improved players. So I’m grateful to play on a team like this, and definitely a testament to what they’ve allowed me to do, and just allowing me to be me.”
If AP honors foreshadow the league awards, Nakase and Salaün should be frontrunners for coach of the year and the all-rookie team, respectively. The league will announce the coach of the year winner on Wednesday while all-rookie teams will be made public on Oct. 7.
The Valkyries will play their first-ever home playoff game on Wednesday at SAP Center, hosting the Minnesota Lynx for Game 2 of the first round. The Valkyries lost Game 1 in Minnesota 101-72 as Burton led them with 14 points and seven assists, though she struggled at times with seven turnovers.