The Liberty’s rotation is going to look a little different next season.
That much became clear Friday night when the newly minted Golden State Valkyries took forward Kayla Thornton from the defending champions in the WNBA expansion draft.
Thornton, 32, averaged 5.5 points and 2.6 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per game last season, her second with the Liberty. She appeared in all 40 regular-season games, making 11 starts, and played in each of the Liberty’s 11 playoff games as well.
“It is incredibly difficult to say goodbye to a player like KT who contributed to the New York Liberty in so many ways over these past two years, including our franchise’s first-ever championship,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said in a statement. “KT quickly became an indelible part of the Liberty family.”
Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin spent five years in the Liberty front office and was there when they acquired Thornton in a 2023 trade with the Dallas Wings.
Thornton, who is entering her 10th season, was one of 11 players selected in Friday’s draft, which formed the foundation of the Valkyries’ inaugural roster.
Every team could protect up to six players from being taken. The Liberty boast one of the WNBA’s deepest rosters, which meant exposing Thornton.
Among the other players taken Friday was Las Vegas Aces guard Kate Martin, a 2024 first-round pick who was college teammates with Caitlin Clark at Iowa.
The Valkyries, who are set to become the 13th WNBA team, also hold the fifth, 17th and 30th picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft.