INDIANAPOLIS — Kayla Thornton is soaking it all in at 2025 WNBA All-Star. She isn’t just a first-time WNBA All-Star at age 32; she’s also the Golden State Valkyries’ first-ever All-Star in the inaugural season for the expansion franchise.
Thornton was drafted to Team Clark for the All-Star Game, reuniting her with Sandy Brondello, her head coach when she was with the New York Liberty. The moment Thornton found out she’d been recognized for all the hard work she’d put in was magical for her and her family.
She first found out she was heading to Indianapolis at practice a few weeks ago. Thornton had to keep the plans a secret for a little while, but she proudly shared the news with her parents.
“[WNBA Commissioner] Cathy [Engelbert] had called, and I had a missed call, and I looked at my voice messages. I never listen to my voicemails,” Thornton told reporters on Friday with a smile. “[Voicemails] have the written [transcription, and] I read that it was Cathy. So I was like, ‘Let me check this out.’ And then my heart dropped, and then I told my parents first, and they were excited.”
Thornton went undrafted in 2014 out of UTEP, but she signed with the Washington Mystics in 2015 and appeared in 10 games. She has continued to improve and develop her game since then, playing six seasons with the Dallas Wings and two with New York.
Last season, she was an important piece of the Liberty’s championship team. But after Golden State selected her in the expansion draft in December, she was able to take on a larger role and prove that she deserves to be an All-Star.
Brondello is proud of her former player and will always be cheering her on, even though she is on an opposing team. Brondello emphasized how much Thornton deserves to be in the All-Star Game.
“We love KT [and] what she’s been able to do, getting that opportunity,” Brondello told reporters on Friday morning. “She was a really important role player for us when we won that championship, and for her to step into a way bigger role obviously with Golden State … she showed her worth for her team. …
“[I’m] really happy [for] KT because she just, for us, she was the ultimate professional and was so big in helping us win, and now she’s getting celebrated even more. … Now she’s an All-Star. How cool is that?”
Thornton gives a lot of credit to her mother and her faith for how she’s been able to stay focused. She also credits her teammates and coaches for what she’s been able to accomplish.
“I just stay the course of what God has [planned] for me. And like my mom always says, ‘Delayed but not denied.’ So I just go by that,” Thornton said. “It feels good [to be recognized as an All-Star]. I mean, I don’t really think about stuff like that. I’m very laid back, behind the scenes, do what I have to do. But this goes to my teammates and my coaches for giving me confidence to be able to do what I could do.”
Thornton has had a packed schedule since arriving in Indianapolis and has enjoyed every bit of it. She said that the activities her agency put together and mingling with different people have been enjoyable.
Thornton started off the weekend by attending negotiations between the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) and the league over the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which is set to expire after the 2025 season. Then she made her way to the orange carpet on Thursday. On Friday, Thornton made a guest appearance on a live episode of Sue Bird’s “Bird’s Eye View” podcast.
In Indianapolis, Thornton was also reunited with her former teammate, New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu, on Team Clark.
“It was good catching up,” Thornton said. “… [It] brought a little [bit of] old memories back. … It’s good to kind of be with [Ionescu and Brondello] for a little bit, be on her side for a little bit, and then gotta get back to the Valkyries.”
With 23 other All-Stars and other women’s basketball players in town, there is an opportunity for players to learn from one another. Thornton has pushed herself to meet other players who she may have never interacted with outside of games.
“I say hi, a few little words, stuff like that … just to mingle and see different [players]. I’m not really too social, but I’m ready to kind of get out my comfort zone with that,” Thornton said.
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It has been an eventful weekend thus far, and Thornton is excited to play in Saturday’s All-Star Game. At 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, Team Clark and Team Collier will face off at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in what’s expected to be an extremely entertaining matchup.
“This is my first All-Star, so I don’t really know what to expect,” Thornton said. “This is pretty nice for my first one. … It’s an honor. It’s a blessing to even be here, to be among other great players. So I’m just grateful to just soak in the moment.”