El Paso native Kayla Thornton secures WNBA championship with Valkyries
SAN FRANSISCO, California (KVIA) -- El Paso has another champion to celebrate.
The Golden State Valkyries are WNBA champions after defeating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a winner-take-all Game 7 of the WNBA Finals on Halloween night.
For Kayla Thornton, an El Paso native and Irvin High School graduate and UTEP alumni the victory adds another championship to an already impressive professional career.
Thornton captured her first WNBA championship in 2024 with the New York Liberty before joining Golden State through the 2025 expansion draft. Now, she has another WNBA title with the Valkyries.
The championship also adds to Thornton’s international success. She won a South Korean WKBL championship in 2019, giving her three professional championships overall.
In Saturday’s championship-clinching game, Thornton contributed three points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal in 16 minutes. She also connected with Gabby Williams on a 3-pointer during Golden State’s third-quarter rally.
Williams led the Valkyries with a standout 30-point performance, including 28 points in the second half. Veronica Burton added 10 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, while Kiah Stokes contributed eight points and 13 rebounds.
Golden State overcame a six-point halftime deficit and held off a late Atlanta push. The Dream tied the game at 57 with 2:44 remaining, but Williams answered with a 3-pointer to give the Valkyries the lead for good.
The victory gives Golden State its first WNBA championship in franchise history, completing a remarkable turnaround for a team in just its second season.
Thornton’s journey to the top of women’s basketball started in El Paso. After starring at Irvin High School, she continued her career at UTEP, where she became one of the most accomplished players in program history.
She finished her collegiate career with 1,679 points and 1,032 rebounds, becoming the first player in school history to reach 1,000 in both categories.
From Irvin to UTEP to the WNBA, Thornton continues to represent the 915 on basketball’s biggest stage.
