Veronica Burton has come a long way since playing a backup role for the Connecticut Sun. It was no surprise when the Golden State Valkyries selected Veronica Burton in the expansion draft. It was also no surprise to see her grow and put up career highs in her new role. The level at which she has improved her production is incredibly impressive, though.
Burton averages career highs all across the board with 11.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.1 steals. While her scoring and ability to space the floor have been a big part of the Valkyries’ success, Burton’s playmaking may be the most impressive part of her game and one of the reasons for Golden State’s playoff push.
Burton ranks eighth in assists per game. She has the ball in her hands a lot, especially since Kayla Thornton went down with a season-ending knee injury. Nevertheless, Burton just doesn’t turn the ball over a lot.
She averages only 1.9 turnovers per game and officially holds the record for most games with at least ten assists and zero turnovers in a single season. She did it three times, dishing out twelve assists in a 95-68 win over the Aces in early June, ten assists in an 81-78 loss to the Liberty, and 14 assists in a 98-91 loss to the Mercury without turning the ball over. On top of that, Burton also recorded ten assists and only one turnover in a 74-57 win over the Sun.
Burton’s low turnover numbers also hold up when compared to other guards. Kelsey Plum, Skylar Diggins, Jordin Canada, Natasha Cloud, Chelsea Gray, and Julie Allemand all average between 5.1 and 5.9 assists per game—similar numbers to Burton. Out of that group only Cloud and Allemand average fewer turnovers than Burton.
Burton and the Valkyries are flying high
The Golden State Valkyries have done the unthinkable. Even though several key players missed time to play on their national teams earlier in the season and Kayla Thornton is out, the Valkyries set a new record for wins by an expansion team in its first season. They are also still in the playoff picture. While the team’s remaining schedule is difficult, Golden State has a solid chance of holding on to one of the final two playoff spots.
Burton is a big reason for that success. She has started every game so far and leads the team in minutes (not counting Thornton), assists, and steals per game. Burton is also one of the front-runners for the Most Improved Player award.