A one-year deal is a reasonable bet that she gets back there.
Kayla Thornton's first All-Star season ended on a training table, her knee giving out not long after she'd earned the honor that had eluded her through a decade in the league. On Monday, the Golden State Valkyries made clear they aren't done with her — and she isn't done with them.
The team announced it has re-signed Thornton to a one-year contract, terms undisclosed, bringing back the 33-year-old forward who became the franchise's first-ever All-Star last season. Alongside that news came word of two more additions: a multi-year deal for veteran center Kiah Stokes and a training camp contract for former Arizona standout Cate Reese.
Thornton's 2025 campaign was, by any measure, the best of her career. She averaged 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game — both personal bests — and scored in double figures in 18 of the 22 games she appeared in before the knee injury shut her down. The Valkyries have not set a return timeline, but the decision to bring her back on a one-year deal rather than let her walk carries its own message: the organization believes she'll be on the floor at some point this season.
General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin framed the re-signing in terms of both production and character. Thornton, she said, stepped into a leadership role from the very first day with a new roster, bringing a work ethic and belief in the team that went beyond the stat sheet. Thornton also carries championship pedigree — she was part of the New York Liberty team that won the title in 2024, and that experience now comes with her to the Bay.
Thornton was one of four unrestricted free agents the Valkyries faced heading into the offseason. Of that group, Monique Billings has landed with the Indiana Fever, while Tiffany Hayes and Temi Fágbénlé remained unsigned as of Monday morning. The Thornton signing, combined with earlier deals for Gabby Williams, Janelle Salaün, and Cecilia Zandalasini, continues to build out a roster heavy with 3-and-D wings — players who can guard and shoot from the perimeter, the currency of modern basketball.
Stokes brings a different kind of value. The 10-year veteran spent the last five seasons in Las Vegas, where she helped the Aces win three WNBA championships. Two of those titles came under coach Natalie Nakase, then an assistant with the Aces and now the head coach in Golden State. That shared history matters. Stokes knows the culture Nakase is trying to build because she lived inside it.
Her numbers — career averages of 3.3 points and 5.4 rebounds, with a 48.5% shooting clip — don't tell the whole story. Stokes is a defender and a locker room presence, the kind of player whose value shows up in film sessions and fourth-quarter rotations rather than box scores. Nyanin called her a strong defender and a great addition, noting that the familiarity with Nakase's system gives her a head start.
Reese, the third piece of Monday's announcement, arrives on a training camp deal after five seasons at Arizona, where she earned four all-Pac-12 honors. Her most recent professional stop was in Poland, where she averaged 15.4 points and 10.6 rebounds across nine EuroCup games for MB Zaglebie Sosnowiec. She joins four other players — Mariella Fasoula, Miela Sowah, Laeticia Amihere, and Kaitlyn Chen — already signed to training camp contracts, giving the Valkyries a competitive pool of talent fighting for final roster spots.
The picture taking shape in Golden State is of a team building deliberately around a core of versatile wings, a championship-tested frontcourt presence, and a coaching staff that has already won at the highest level. The open questions are Thornton's knee and the clock — whether she can get healthy in time to contribute, and whether the rest of the roster can hold together until she does.
Notable Quotes
She became our first-ever All-Star, and also stepped up as a leader for a new roster from day one. Kayla brings relentless work ethic and an unshakeable belief in this team.— Ohemaa Nyanin, Valkyries General Manager
She has won three WNBA championships and was coached by Coach Nakase in Las Vegas, so she understands what we are building here and what it takes to win.— Ohemaa Nyanin, on Kiah Stokes
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What does it actually mean for a franchise to have its first-ever All-Star?
It's a marker of arrival. The Valkyries are still a young team, and Thornton gave them something to point to — a player performing at the league's highest level in their colors.
But she only played 22 games. How much does that complicate the re-signing?
It complicates the optics more than the logic. The injury happened after the All-Star break, so the team saw what she could do at full health. A one-year deal is a reasonable bet that she gets back there.
The GM mentioned leadership specifically. Is that just front-office language?
Not entirely. The Valkyries were a brand-new roster last season — players who hadn't played together, figuring out an identity. Someone who steps into that and steadies it has real value beyond statistics.
Kiah Stokes's numbers are modest. Why give her a multi-year deal?
Because championships aren't won by stat lines alone. Stokes has three rings and a direct connection to the coaching staff. She knows exactly what Nakase expects and how to operate inside that system.
Does the Nakase connection actually translate on the court?
It shortens the learning curve considerably. Culture is hard to install from scratch. Stokes already has it installed.
What's the risk in this roster construction — all these wings, a center who doesn't score much?
The risk is that if Thornton's recovery stalls, the team loses its best scorer and the whole balance shifts. The wings are deep, but depth only covers so much.
And Cate Reese — is a training camp deal meaningful or just a number?
It's a real opportunity. She put up strong numbers in Europe, and the Valkyries have five players in that same pool competing for spots. Someone from that group will likely make the team.
What's the thing to watch as the season approaches?
Thornton's knee. Everything else about this roster makes sense on paper. Whether it works depends on whether she can play.