After knee surgery, Kayla Thornton will miss the season, and the Valkyries will suffer a significant setback. After undergoing knee surgery, All-Star forward Kayla Thornton has been declared out for the remainder of the season, dealing a devastating blow to the Golden State Valkyries’ hopes of making the playoffs.
Fans and teammates alike were devastated by the news, which the team confirmed Thursday afternoon. Earlier this week, Thornton, who was having a breakout season, sustained the injury during a routine practice. What started out as a small adjustment swiftly turned into something much more significant. Following assessment, the medical staff decided surgery was required.
Tasha Coleman, the head coach of the Valkyries, said after practice, “She’s the heart of this team.” “There’s no way to replace her leadership, energy, and the way she plays both ends of the floor.” Thornton was having the best season of his career before he went down. She averaged 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, which are numbers that not only stand out on the stat sheet but also show that she did it all.
Thornton was the Valkyries’ rock, whether it was crashing the boards, shutting down a key offensive threat, or making clutch shots late in the fourth quarter. This injury isn’t just bad for the person; it’s a huge problem for a team that is trying to make the playoffs in a very close Western Conference race.
Without their leader, the Valkyries (13–9) now have a tough road ahead of them, both emotionally and on the scoreboard. Chelsea Grey, a teammate, said it plainly: “We’re going to have to grow up fast.” It’s still not clear how the coaching staff plans to fill the gap, but it looks like rookie forward Jada Williams will get more playing time.
This one still hurts, though. There hasn’t been an official announcement about Thornton’s recovery timeline yet, but early signs point to her being ready by the start of next season. The Valkyries will have to find their rhythm without their star until then. They hope it’s not too late to keep their postseason hopes alive.
