From being waived by the Dallas Wings in 2024 to making it to the WNBA Finals just two years later, Veronica Burton has had quite the journey. After clinching the semifinal series against the Aces, Burton said that “it’s a dream come true” for her. Now that she has, and the Golden State Valkyries have reached their first-ever WNBA Finals, the basketball star explained what this moment truly means to her.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“It means a lot. Just to be in this moment, it’s a blessing. This is what I work for. This is what I dream for. Obviously, it’s a journey, and it’s still going to be up and down,” Burton said in an interview posted by the WNBA on Instagram.
“There’s still going to be really high moments, really low moments. That’s the thing that I almost enjoy about it the most: just being able to stay steady through all of it… and I’m just really excited. It’s so fun.”
Burton is well aware of the ups and downs that might lie ahead in the finals because her journey to the WNBA Finals has been full of them. The Dallas Wings selected Veronica Burton as the seventh overall pick in 2022; she had a hard time making any meaningful impact.
After averaging 2.6 points per game in 15.2 minutes of playing time across 36 games in 2022, Burton was waived by the Wings before the start of the 2024 season.
But Burton didn’t give up. She kept on working behind the scenes. A clip posted on X by her sister, Kayla Burton, in June 2024 gave a glimpse into Burton’s work ethic.
“What people don’t see… The resiliency of @Veronicaab22 (Saw it firsthand, rebounding for her in a local gym). Albeit being cut and all the emotions that came w/, she lived in the gym and made sure she stayed ready when her opportunity came. It’s here… Go shine baby sis❤️,” she wrote while posting a clip of Burton practicing.
Then, Burton’s much-touted homecoming with the Connecticut Sun also didn’t pan out the way she and the fans hoped. However, this time she showed signs of a ‘big-game’ player and played an instrumental role in taking the Sun all the way to Game 5 of the semifinals.
It seems the Valkyries saw that potential in Burton when they signed her in 2025. And their bet has paid off big time. Burton quickly earned the trust of Natalie Nakase, boasting a usage rate of 19% this season and being first on the squad in minutes per game.
She averaged 11.9 PPG in her first season with the Valkyries, and those numbers have only improved. This year, she averaged 12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, and during the playoffs she once again showed that championship mentality.
Veronica Burton was invaluable for Golden State in the semis
The 26-year-old came up clutch throughout the series against the Las Vegas Aces to get the expansion franchise through to the WNBA Finals in their second year. In game 2, Burton displayed why she is an elite two-way player.
With just 41.5 seconds left on the clock, she buried a three that saw the Valkyries take a 79-76 lead. Golden State held on to win the game 83-81, once again courtesy of Burton’s two successful free throws near the end.
“She was right when we needed it,” Tiffany Hayes told reporters about Burton following the Game 2 win against the Aces.
Then, in Game 3, Burton added four points in the Valkyries’ 8-0 run in the fourth quarter that gave them a 71-69 lead. With just 1:12 left on the clock, Burton made a layup that kept the Valkyries in the game and helped them take the game into overtime.
Burton has translated the defensive solidity she was known for at Northwestern University to the Valkyries this season. In 2025, she earned an All-Defensive Second Team nod, and this season, she has improved her defensive performance even further, finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
This, coupled with her clutch plays in the back-to-back semifinal games, is something coach Natalie Nakase will look to capitalize on again in the upcoming WNBA Finals.
The Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream have both looked formidable throughout the postseason so far. Now the question is what will happen as two of the best defensive teams of this season clash in a seven-game series for the 2026 WNBA Championship.