Why WNBA veteran Kayla Thornton is built to lead expansion Valkyries

SAN FRANCISCO Off the floor Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton is as laid back as one could be She seemingly dependably has a smile on her face and on the right day you might catch her serenading through the hallways of the Valkyries practice facility in Oakland But on the floor everything about the El Paso native is anything but easygoing She rips rebounds out of the air with authority throws her -foot- frame into every possession and competes with a relentless vigor on both ends of the floor Whether you re watching her on TV or inside Chase Center her presence is impossible to miss For her entire nine-year WNBA career Thornton has been a high-end role member She does a little bit of everything on the floor filling gaps wherever needed But this season will be different Thornton is expected to be one of the Valkyries top scorers and a leader on a roster filled with young talent Golden State Valkyries Kayla Thornton speaks to the media during training camp held at the Sephora Performance Center in Oakland Calif on Sunday April Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group After contributing off the bench in the New York Liberty s run to a WNBA title last season averaging points and rebounds per tournament the -year-old is ready to take on a larger role with the expansion Valkyries this season I know what I bring to this table and what I have to bring and what necessities to be commented Thornton notified the Bay Area News Group When the big moments come I know that I can step up and lead Growing up in Texas basketball wasn t Thornton s favorite sport While her teammates spent summers playing tour ball Thornton laced up track shoes I really thought she would go in the direction of running track reported Rita Minjarez Thornton s basketball coach at Irvin High School in El Paso She would do like five events every year and she was more of a jumper hurdler and she ran sprints I really thought she had that opportunity to go to the next level in track Once Minajarez got Thornton on the basketball court she was a natural Thornton finished her high school career as Irvin s all-time leading scorer points and amassed rebounds She was named the El Paso Times member of the year as a senior after averaging points and rebounds per meeting while leading Irvin to a Division - A state championship But even after urgent school records and winning state titles Thornton had just one college offer out of high school The University of Texas El Paso a -minute drive from where Thornton went to high school craved her At UTEP Thornton thrived As a senior she averaged points and rebounds per competition and took the Miners to the Women s National Invitational Tournament championship encounter in She became the first sportsman in the effort s history to average a double-double in a season The city fell in love with her UTEP coach Keitha Adams reported the Bay Area News Group Specific of our greatest moments fed off Kayla s passion and how she played the challenge But similar to what she experienced in high school Thornton was overlooked during the WNBA Draft After going undrafted she signed with the Washington Mystics only to be cut on the last day of training camp She spent two seasons playing overseas before resigning with the Mystics in She played games with Washington that year but didn t play in the WNBA again until signing with her home state Dallas Wings in It was home in Texas where she became one of the league s top role players In her third season with Dallas she averaged a career-high points per tournament Traded to New York In she helped the Liberty reach the WNBA Finals in her first season and played a key role as the unit s sixth woman during the run to the championship last season Playing in New York alongside stars Sabrina Ionescu Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones Thornton became a fan favorite known for her ability to make big shots while being a fearless defender She understands her role and she does it to the best of her ability Jones communicated the New York Post last season Golden State Valkyries Kayla Thornton puts on her shoes during training camp held at the Sephora Performance Center in Oakland Calif on Sunday April Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Now on a much younger unit Thornton noted she hopes to be an example for her Valkyries teammates After preponderance practices she makes sure to get in an extra set of shots or is in the training room working on keeping her body in shape Related Articles It felt like a playoff contest Five takeaways from Valkyries preseason debut Valkyries show fight but fall short in preseason loss to Los Angeles Sparks Opening act Valkyries set to make preseason debut against Los Angeles Sparks Valkyries waive second-round pick Shyanne Sellers It s one of the best organizations I ve been in How the Valkyries are creating their identity in real time In her eyes it is all part of the job She s got a blue-collar work mentality She s going to dive for balls She s going to get your gang extra possessions Adams reported She s going to do a lot of things that might go unnoticed but that help you win games Minajarez added Her personality has inevitably been a big plus She has the work ethic that could make any group succeed She established that everywhere she went Now she will try to do so with the Valkyries One thing I learned being in New York last year having so several vets and having superstars and great players on our crew we were all selfless Thornton announced That s how we were able to win a championship I ll perpetually stay ready so I don t have to get ready That mentality it all just worked out for me in the end Golden State Valkyries Kayla Thornton looks to pass in the third quarter of their first WNBA pre-season competition against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Chase Center in San Francisco Calif on Tuesday May Jane Tyska Bay Area News Group