To fully grasp the warmth of Kayla Thornton’s spirit, one must speak to those around her, listen, and watch one million smiles unfurl. Let 2024 WNBA Finals MVP Jonquel Jones tell it. “[Kayla is] someone that you want to be around,” said Jones.
“Someone [who] has that energy that draws you in.” Prompt a member of the title-winning New York Liberty to share their feelings on Thornton, and joy fills the air in an instant. “I could talk about my girl all day,” said Kennedy Burke, sitting on the cushy courtside seats at Barclays Center following a team shootaround in late August.
“I feel like I can be myself around her. She’s a person that I look up to, not only on the court but off the court. She’s been .
..” It’s at this point that Burke’s sentence trails off, a gleeful laugh taking the place of her thoughtful words.
In Burke’s direct line of vision stands Thornton, inevitably doing something that has induced a bout of giggles. After a moment, Burke gathers herself and ties a bow on the sentiment. “She’s been a consistent teammate and a consistent friend.
” Little anecdotes like these are now tinged with an undercurrent of sadness given the WNBA’s recent expansion draft. On December 6th, it was announced that the Golden State Valkyries would be selecting Thornton from New York to join their startup ball club out west. Thornton was not among the six players protected by Liberty brass, and thus was eligible to become a member of the WNBA’s 13th .