It’s an unfortunate end to a fantastic story.
Golden State Valkyries star forward Kayla Thornton, who suffered a right knee injury earlier this week in practice, underwent successful surgery Friday, the team announced.
The ex-Liberty star will miss the remainder of the 2025 WNBA season, dramatically ending a campaign which included her first All-Star Game selection.
“I was at home and I saw that flash up and I was like ‘Oh no,’” Thornton’s former head coach Sandy Brondello said Friday. The Liberty coach added she sent Thornton a message “straight away” after seeing the news.
The 2025 WNBA season was a breakout year for Thornton, who thrived in an elevated role with the league’s newest franchise out West.
Thornton, a 10-year veteran, spent the previous two seasons as a key reserve on Brondello’s bench with the Liberty. Her abilities to guard multiple positions while knocking down open shots helped New York secure its first WNBA title in franchise history.
“She will always be a part of something special that we did here and the history we created,” Brondello said of Thornton, who received the championship ring in a homecoming game in May.
Months after winning the 2024 championship, Thornton was then transferred from the Big Apple to Golden State after the Valkyries selected her as one of 11 picks in the 2024 expansion draft.
Thornton described the sudden transaction as “tough,” but it landed her a bigger role on a roster devoid of starpower — unlike her situation playing behind multiple MVP candidates in New York.
The new Valkyries role allowed Thornton to expand her game and become a focal point in the offense.
Thornton’s 2025 usage rate exploded, surging to 22.7% after logging just 12.6% in 2024 and 11.1% in 2023.
Before the injury, Thornton started all 22 games for Natalie Nakase’s squad. The forward recorded career-highs in points (14.0) and rebounds (7) while being named an All-Star Game reserve.
In her two seasons in New York, Thornton averaged 5.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
“She was the ultimate professional and it was so good to see what she achieved this year,” Brondello said.
STILL NO NYARA
Liberty big Nyara Sabally missed Friday’s matchup against the Phoenix Mercury and is expected to miss Saturday’s home game against the Los Angeles Sparks, per Brondello.
The team listed Sabally out due to rest on Friday. The German has dealt with a knee injury this season and received a PRP injection in June for it. Brondello said Sabally hasn’t received another injection for the knee.
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