The Golden State Valkyries have locked up guard Veronica Burton with a multi-year contract extension, the franchise confirmed on Saturday. Burton claimed the WNBA’s Most Improved Player honor during the previous campaign.
The 25-year-old guard delivered outstanding performance throughout the season, recording personal bests with 11.9 points per game, 6.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per contest. Burton appeared in the starting lineup for all 44 games during the expansion team’s debut season. She dominated the Most Improved Player voting, capturing 68 out of 72 possible votes from the national media panel.
Prior to this breakthrough campaign, Burton had only made 20 starts across her first three WNBA seasons.
“Veronica was the backbone of this team in our inaugural season,” stated Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin. “She started every single game, led us in nearly every statistical category, and was the connective tissue between our locker room and our coaching staff.”
“Her work ethic, leadership and voice were exactly what we needed in year one, and we cannot wait to see her continue to grow here in Golden State. Building this roster has always started with character, and Veronica is exactly the type of person we continue to build around,” Nyanin added.
Burton’s defensive prowess also earned recognition, as she was named to the WNBA All-Defensive Second Team. She tallied 50 steals and recorded 27 blocks during the season.
The former Northwestern standout spent her first two professional seasons with Dallas from 2022-23, then played for Connecticut in 2024 before joining Golden State through the expansion draft process.
