On the morning of the Golden State Valkyries expansion draft, Veronica Burton got a phone call that would instantly change her life. The WNBA’s newest franchise, located in San Francisco, was planning on selecting her from the Connecticut Sun’s list of unprotected players.
Burton, while playing professional basketball in Australia, learned she would soon need to move to the Bay Area, a region she had never even visited. Her one-season tenure in Uncasville, Connecticut— a small town a few hours away from her hometown in Newton, Massachusetts — was coming to a sudden end.
The expansion draft, which took place on Dec. 7 and saw 11 players get selected, provided a way for the Valkyries to assemble their inaugural roster. Of the 11 players drafted, 8 played in the WNBA last season: Phoenix Mercury forward Monique Billings, Washington Mystics guard Julie Vanloo, Las Vegas Aces guard Kate Martin, New York Liberty forward Kayla Thornton, Indiana Fever forward Temi Fagbenle, Minnesota Lynx forward Cecilia Zandalasini, Los Angeles Sparks forward Stephanie Talbot, and Burton, a guard who spent last season returning home to play for the Connecticut Sun after starting her career with two seasons on the Dallas Wings.
The rules were simple: each team could protect six players, but teams were not required to share those lists with the players themselves. All of those players were eligible to be selected by Golden State because they were left unprotected by their WNBA teams.
Some knew in advance that they were unprotected and therefore susceptible to being drafted. Others didn’t.
Behind-the-scenes in the WNBA expansion draft
WNBA fans and media had plenty of fun making mock drafts and predictions (we here at SB Nation also partook in the exercise). It’s understandable; expansion provides a rare opportunity for fans to play general manager — and given the fact that it’s been 16 years since expansion last took place in the W, there was a healthy appetite to do so.
But, for the players themselves, expansion is real life.
So, what is it like to have your fate determined by a draft?
“It’s definitely a mix of emotions – but the top one being excitement, for sure,” Burton told SB Nation. “It’s an incredible opportunity, and just a blessing, to be a part of this draft and of history. Being able to play in the inaugural season and in the Bay Area is something that I could have never even dreamed of. It’s something that I don’t want to take for granted.”
For Burton, a hard-nosed defender who had established herself as an effective backup point guard, the process was made easier because the Connecticut Sun opted to inform her before the draft that she was not one of their six protected players.
“From a mental standpoint, it just gave me more insight,” Burton said. “They were very transparent and clear about it. I think that was helpful. I knew it was a possibility — I knew I could still be in Connecticut, or I knew I could be picked up in this draft. There’s still some nerves or anxiety, but it wasn’t necessarily a ‘left in the dark’ anxiousness.”
But, not every franchise gave unprotected players the same heads up — the WNBA did not require it, and the unprotected players lists were not made public.
Newly appointed Sun general manager Morgan Tuck told SB Nation that figuring out who to protect was difficult (in the Sun’s case, backup big Olivia Nelson-Ododa was likely protected over Burton).
“There’s a reason why they put a limit on how many you can protect, and it’d be easy if you could protect everyone that you know you don’t want to lose,” Tuck said. “People that we ended up not protecting — it doesn’t mean that they’re not wanted. It’s hard when you have to leave people out or protect certain people over others.”
Burton landed in Connecticut in June after being waived by the Dallas Wings early in the 2024 season. Right away, it was a perfect fit. She played 19.3 minutes per game in the 2024 playoffs, averaging 4.9 points and 1.9 assists. In the first round against the Indiana Fever, she was often tasked with guarding Fever star Caitlin Clark.
“I’m extremely grateful for them,” Burton said of the Sun organization. “I just found my rhythm, my confidence there.”
Had she returned to Connecticut, she’d be looking at a drastically different team, anyway. Stephanie White, who coached the Sun last season, is now the Fever’s head coach, and she brought her top assistants with her to Indiana. Rachid Meziane, a French professional basketball coach, will likely bring a brand-new staff with him to Connecticut.
Still, it was a tenure that gave Burton a critical perspective.
“They’re no longer there, but they just instilled in me a confidence that I struggled with at times in the W,” she said. “They just valued me. They knew what I brought to the table, and they let me be me. And same with the players — each and every player taught me something new.”
Tuck echoed Burton’s sentiments.
“Obviously, we were sad to see Veronica chosen to be taken — she was great,” Tuck said. “I think everyone can see just how great of a person she was, and as a player as well.”
Veronica Burton was balling out in Australia when she got picked
Right now, the 24-year-old point guard is in the midst of a standout season with the Bendigo Spirit in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) in Australia. She’s averaging 14.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4 assists per game in her first season in the WNBL.
“It’s definitely a super competitive league, which is something that I wanted coming here,” Burton said. “It’s challenged me in different ways, but also stretched me for the best. My team has been great. it’s been a really smooth transition, especially culturally. It’s not too big of a shift because there’s no language barrier.”
This winter, there are two domestic professional women’s basketball leagues for WNBA players looking to stay in the US — Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited — but Burton opted to play in a more traditional 5-on-5 league overseas, explaining she felt that in the first few offseasons of her career, that’d be most beneficial.
Looking ahead to the Valkyries’ upcoming season
Veronica Burton hasn’t had much of an opportunity to chat extensively with her new Valkyries coaches and teammates, as the organization’s incoming players are currently scattered all over the world.
Julie Vanloo, Temi Fagbenle, Iliana Rupert, and Cecilia Zandalasini are playing in Turkey. Monique Billings is in China. Burton and Stephanie Talbot are in Australia, Maria Conde is in Czechoslovakia, Carla Leite in France, and Kate Martin in Miami. The Valkyries perfectly epitomize the globalized nature of the women’s game and the current
But, Burton has gotten to chat with Kayla Thornton — who she previously played with in Dallas — and her new head coach, Natalie Nakase. The message has been clear: the Valkyries have assembled an ultra-competitive, hard-working group.
“We all have a chip on our shoulder, and we’re all ready to compete,” Burton said. “Everyone kind of assumes, you know, ‘first year, we’ll see what they can do. Just make the most of what you have.’ But when you have just kind of the mindset that you’re hungry and the underdog mindset — at least for me, I don’t know, I have really high expectations for this year. The grittiness will come out and just the passion and excitement to play.”
On the day of the expansion draft, Nakase explained that the incoming Valkyries players will have a “ridiculous work ethic” and an “ultra-competitive mindset”, qualities that were non-negotiable for all selected players.
“The high character will really come through,” Burton said. “And I really do think that goes a long way when it comes to winning, and [establishing] a winning culture and a winning program. Just excited to be a part of it and follow their lead.”
This article is the fifth installment of SB Nation’s new “WNBA Explained” series, a weekly column diving deep into different topics related to women’s basketball. You can read last week’s column about Athletes Unlimited here.
