Veronica Burton is the WNBA's 2025 Most Improved Player, the league announced Monday, September 15. Burton has been an invaluable presence for the Golden State Valkyries all season, but especially since Kayla Thornton injured her knee in mid-July. Burton stepped up as a leader of the team, and currently leads the teams in points (11.9), assists (6.0), steals (1.1) and blocks (0.6).
The 5'9" point guard is the only member of the team to start in all 44 of its inaugural games and averaged 29.2 minutes per game during the regular season — a huge leap from the 12.7 she saw with the Connecticut Sun in 2024.
Burton was drafted as the No. 7 overall pick by the Dallas Wings in the 2022 WNBA Draft. She received 68 of 72 total votes (Azura Stevens had two, Allisha Gray had one, and Natisha Hiedeman rounded out the list with one vote as well).
Veronica Burton's 2025 leap was impressive
Burton made an incredible leap this season and has solidified herself as a more than solid WNBA player and potential All-Star down the road. While she isn't the only player on Golden State's squad who could have earned the nod, she is certainly deserving — Burton is largely seen as the engine that drives Golden State and keeps the team on task, which is no small feat. The league's newest expansion team has enjoyed a tremendous 2025, and Burton is arguably the biggest reason why.
Burton's stats exploded right alongside her minutes, a trend that has been seen in other MIP players in recent years (for example, DiJonai Carrington notably saw her minutes increase from 17.2 in 2023 to 29.2 when she won the award in 2024). In August she racked up 25 points, 3 assists, 4 blocks, and 5 rebounds, a huge performance for any player — and certainly one that most solidly supports today's news.
The Golden State Valkyries return to the Bay Area this week
After a disappointing 101-72 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, the Valkyries will head back home to Ballhalla — well, kind of — to meet the team on Tuesday, September 16, for game two of a potential three-game series. While the Valkyries won't actually play in the Chase Center due to a scheduling conflict, they will host the Lynx in the relatively nearby SAP Center in San Jose. While that's not an ideal scenario, there's little doubt Valkyries fans will show up and show out — and Burton will be on hand to put on a show.