Kayla Thornton is set to compete for another WNBA championship as her Golden State Valkyries take on the Atlanta Dream in the 2026 Finals.
The El Paso native has returned to the starting lineup after a knee injury that kept her out for much of the second half of the previous season.
Golden State, the No. 2 seed, finished the regular season with a 32-12 record and went 5-1 in the postseason.
Atlanta, seeded fourth, posted a 30-14 mark and swept its first five playoff games. The Valkyries hold home-court advantage in the series.
Thornton is chasing her second championship in three seasons, having won the 2024 title with the New York Liberty.
Her journey with Golden State began when the expansion franchise selected her in the 2025 expansion draft, defying expectations that the new team would struggle.
In 2025, Thornton earned her first WNBA All-Star selection with the Valkyries before the injury.
After completing her recovery, she reclaimed her starting spot and continues to anchor the defense.
During the 2026 regular season, Thornton averaged 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 24.3 minutes per game.
Over 11 WNBA seasons with four teams, she has career averages of 7.6 points and 4.4 rebounds.
At 6-foot-1, Thornton is known for her ability to guard all five positions.
Her defensive versatility and leadership have been crucial as Golden State pursues its first championship.
From Undrafted to Champion
Thornton's professional career began with setbacks.
After going undrafted in 2014 out of UTEP, she attended a tryout with the Washington Mystics but was released before the season.
She returned to Washington in 2015, appeared in 10 games and was released again. She did not play in the WNBA in 2016.
The Dallas Wings signed Thornton in 2017, and she spent six seasons with the franchise, primarily as a starter and defensive specialist.
A 2023 trade sent her to the New York Liberty, where she became part of the team's championship-winning group in 2024.
Thornton was on the court when New York defeated the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of the 2024 Finals on October 20, her 32nd birthday.
Her selection by Golden State in the expansion draft gave her a new opportunity to establish herself with a developing franchise.
Her basketball roots trace back to El Paso's Irvin High School and UTEP. Thornton graduated from Irvin in 2010 after scoring 1,953 points and collecting 884 rebounds.
As a senior, she helped the team secure two playoff victories and earned El Paso Times Player of the Year honors.
At UTEP, where she played from 2010 through 2014, Thornton finished as the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,679 points and leading rebounder with 1,032.
She played on the 2012 NCAA tournament team and helped lead the program to the 2014 Women's National Invitation Tournament final.
Both institutions retired her jersey numbers in November 2024.
Irvin retired her No. 11 on November 6, followed by UTEP retiring her No. 5 on November 11, recognizing her achievements at the high school and collegiate levels.
The 2026 Finals opened on Saturday, October 17, with Atlanta visiting Golden State.
Game 2 is scheduled for Monday, October 19, in Golden State before the series moves to Atlanta for Game 3 on Wednesday, October 21.
If necessary, additional games are scheduled for October 24, 26, 29 and 31.
