(KRON) – The first Golden State Valkyrie to be a WNBA All-Star was announced by the league Sunday, and it is none other than Kayla Thornton.
This is the small forward/power forward’s first time participating in the All-Star game.
The WNBA champion has started all 17 games for the new franchise. Thornton is leading in minutes, averaging 30 minutes per game. She is also averaging 14.9 points and 7.1 rebounds a game with five double-doubles this season.
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Kayla Thornton (5) drives to the basket in the first half as the Golden State Valkyries played the Seattle Storm at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sunday, June 29, 2025. (Photo by Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) -
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 27: Kayla Thornton #5 of the Golden State Valkyries reacts in front of fans after she made a three-point shot against the Chicago Sky during the second half of a WNBA basketball game at Chase Center on June 27, 2025 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) -
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JULY 05: Courtney Williams #10 of the Minnesota Lynx and Kayla Thornton #5 of the Golden State Valkyries embrace after the Lynx won a game at Target Center on July 5, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)
This is not Thornton’s first time making Valkyrie history; three weeks ago, she was the team’s first WNBA Player of the Week.
Due to receiving the most fan votes, Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier were selected as captains for the annual match.
Washington Mystics’s Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen and Seattle Storm’s Gabby Williams are also first-time WNBA All-Stars.
