Kayla Thornton quickly filled a glaring hole on the Valkyries’ roster: she became the team’s first All-Star and most productive player. When she went down with a season-ending knee injury after the All-Star break, the Valkyries’ playoff aspirations seemed to be in serious jeopardy.
The Valkyries persevered. Led by Veronica Burton, Temi Fagbenle, Janelle Salaün, and others, the Valkyries continued to win games. They became the first expansion team to secure a playoff spot in its first season. With the playoffs right around the corner, Kayla Thornton’s absence regains importance.
The Valkyries will have to brave the playoffs without the one player on the roster who has championship experience, while also missing another veteran with extensive postseason experience.
Thornton’s absence puts pressure on other veterans in the playoffs
The Valkyries assembled a healthy mix of veterans and young players. Only three players on the roster have no WNBA playoff experience: rookies Janelle Salaün, Carla Leite, and Kaitlyn Chen. Everyone else has been to the playoffs, but not everyone has a lot of experience.
Iliana Rupert, who is a starter for the Valkyries, played eight total playoff games, but only averaged seven minutes per game over seven postseason games with the Aces in 2022. Kate Martin only played three minutes in one playoff game as a rookie. Laeticia Amihere also only appeared in two playoff games over her career.
Tiffany Hayes and Kayla Thornton are the most experienced players on the Valkyries’ roster. While Hayes hasn’t won a championship, she played in 33 playoff games over her career. She is out with an injury and may not be able to suit up for the playoffs. Thornton and her championship experience certainly won’t be on the court.
That puts a lot of pressure on the other veterans on the roster. Cecilia Zandalasini’s and Veronica Burton’s experience will be especially invaluable. Zandalasini, who just returned from an injury, played 17 total playoff games over her career, including a trip to the finals last season. Burton played 15 playoff games with the Wings and the Sun, but came off the bench for the majority of those games. Kaila Charles played 11 playoff games in 2020 and 2021. Monique Billings and Temi Fagbenle appeared in nine and six playoff games, respectively.
The Valkyries will have to lean on their experience if they want to make some noise in the playoffs.
The Valkyries will face a team with plenty of playoff experience
The Valkyries have a solid amount of playoff experience on the roster, but it pales in comparison to the teams they might face in the first round. Depending on how the final standings pan out, the Valkyries may face the Lynx, Dream, or Aces in their first playoff series. While the Lynx are locked into first place, there is still room for movement for other teams.
The Aces have a veteran roster and a core that won two titles together. Minnesota went to the finals last season and retained the same veteran core. The Dream may not have been to the playoffs in this constellation yet, but they have several players with championship experience and deep playoff runs under their belts.