Kayla Thornton was in the middle of the best season of her career when she suffered a season-ending knee injury. While Thornton’s season was cut short, she will always be in the Valkyries’ history books as the franchise’s first All-Star. Thornton is also still having an impact on the Valkyries’ season despite not being able to play.
After the Valkyries beat the Los Angeles Sparks for the third time this season, her coach and teammates spoke about Thornton's importance to the team while she is sidelined with an injury.
“Obviously, we miss her energy,” coach Natalie Nakase said in her postgame press conference. “We miss her leadership, but now, when we have a goal that we can do this for KT, I think that’s pretty dangerous.”
When asked about Thornton’s first appearance at Chase Center since her surgery, Cecilia Zandalasini said, “KT is our leader. We miss her and we’re going to miss her, but it’s nice to see her around, see that she’s doing good with her rehab, and getting the chance to stay together because she’s for sure one of us every day, even if she’s not here. So, I think also when she was up there in the stands and the fans were going crazy…it also gave us a little bit more energy.”
Those comments don’t only show how close this Valkyries team is but also underline Thornton’s importance, even when she’s not playing. Her presence still fuels the Valkyries and gives them something else to play for.
The Valkyries won a very important game
The Valkyries’ final game against the Los Angeles Sparks was one of the most important games of the season. Los Angeles is hunting a playoff spot and was threatening to push the Valkyries out of the postseason picture. Now, the Valkyries hold the tiebreaker and still occupy the final playoff spot.
The Sparks had been on a tear coming into the game, regularly scoring 100 points. Golden State held them to only 59 points and got a much-needed victory. They had previously lost two games to the Las Vegas Aces, which jeopardized their position in the playoff race.
The Valkyries held the Sparks to only 32.8 percent shooting from the field. Rickea Jackson and Kelsey Plum only combined for 12 points and four made field goals. The Valkyries’ stifling defense was on full display.
Natalie Nakase’s team has proven that it can win without its All-Star. The postgame comments made it very clear that the team is also trying to win for Thornton—because of her injury and not just despite it.
While this win was an important first step towards securing a playoff spot, the Valkyries will still face an uphill battle for the rest of the season. They are still only one game ahead of the Sparks, and the final playoff spot is not yet secured.