WNBAGM

Kayla Thornton

Golden State Valkyries · F · 2026 stats, contract & trade value

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Talent score
40
#81 in the W
Trade value
35
#89 in the W
Contract surplus
-11.8
talent vs. salary expectation
Position
F
Talent & trade value 20–9966+ star40–65 rotationunder 40 fringe

In 2026, Thornton is producing 11.8 pts below what her salary should buy. She's a free agent after this season, so the figure reflects her 2026 salary alone.

Kayla Thornton headshot

Kayla Thornton

40
Golden State Valkyries · F · age 33
Value & contract
Talent
40
Replacement
Trade value
35
Replacement
Surplus
-11.8
Overpaid
Talent trend40– flat
954320
LG AVG
Last 30 daysToday
Contract1 yr · $750K gtd
2026$750KGTD
GuaranteedNon-guaranteedTeam option

Box scoreper game · 44 GP
PoorGreatpercentile vs qualified
Points
48
7.7
Assists
13
0.7
Rebounds
74
4.5
Usage
22
14.9 %
Efficiency
30
52 % TS
On-court impactwRAPM · 1,834 poss · 2026-09-13
PoorGreatpercentile vs qualified
Offense
46
−0.7
Defense
74
+0.5

wRAPM — her effect on team net scoring per 100 possessions, adjusted for teammates and opponents.

A balanced profile without a standout skill; assists is the soft spot. Reads as a Replacement-level talent.
Talent outlook
2026
40 talent
2027 · FA
37 proj
31–44
2028 · FA
33 proj
27–42

Projected per stat on the fitted league aging curves (scoring fades, rebounding holds, minutes drive late decline) — 4,700 player-seasons, 1997–2025. Ranges are 10th–90th percentile from held-out backtest error. Years marked FA are past her current deal — projection only.

Career stats
SeasonTeamGPMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGTOVFG%3P%FT%
2015WAS108.82.22.10.10.30.30.533.3%0.0%66.7%
2017DAL3417.26.83.30.90.60.20.741.2%27.9%80.0%
2018DAL3428.69.24.01.81.00.41.144.7%35.5%86.0%
2019DAL2730.410.45.31.80.90.31.634.3%27.2%93.1%
2020DAL2225.37.35.10.80.90.21.142.5%34.7%87.5%
2021DAL3127.67.55.61.50.80.21.042.1%34.9%84.9%
2022DAL3629.28.05.91.81.10.61.246.9%32.5%82.9%
2023NYL4017.34.53.50.70.70.20.543.3%31.3%76.7%
2024NYL4120.45.82.60.70.70.20.638.8%37.0%84.6%
2025GSV2230.114.07.01.51.30.21.636.2%28.2%82.9%
2026GSV4424.37.74.50.70.70.30.736.1%34.7%90.3%
Projected · 2027–2028
SeasonTalentPPGRPGAPG
2027378.24.70.9
2028336.84.10.8

Future-year talent figures above are projections on the league aging curve (fit from 4,692 player-seasons, 1997–2025), not measurements — they fade in the display because they should.How the projections work →

Best team fits

Her attribute profile scored against each team's current roster deficits — where she'd fill the biggest hole, not just where she'd be fun.

Portland Fire17-27 · thinnest in rebounding / size + scoring · 1.9M space
build this trade · fit score 38
Connecticut Sun11-33 · thinnest in scoring + playmaking / ball-handling · 1.0M space
build this trade · fit score 36
Washington Mystics28-16 · thinnest in playmaking / ball-handling + scoring · 1.4M space
build this trade · fit score 28

What would it take?

The fair package each team would have to send for Kayla Thornton, built and graded by the same engine that grades trades. A deal only appears if it’s cap-legal both ways and lands within one letter grade on both sides — the model’s bar for a fair trade. Sorted by which teams most need her; open one in the machine to tweak it.

Chicago Sky sendsCHI C · GSV B
Courtney Vandersloot
open this trade in the machine →
Portland Fire sendsPOR C · GSV B
Jordan Harrison
open this trade in the machine →
Connecticut Sun sendsCONN C+ · GSV B-
Saniya Rivers
open this trade in the machine →
Los Angeles Sparks sendsLA C · GSV B-
Monique Akoa Makani
open this trade in the machine →
Seattle Storm sendsSEA C+ · GSV C+
Mackenzie Holmes
open this trade in the machine →
Washington Mystics sendsWSH C+ · GSV B-
Cotie McMahon
open this trade in the machine →

A starting point, not a prediction — each package is the fewest fair pieces the model can assemble, and a real deal would flex around roster fit and both front offices.

Golden State Valkyries teammates

Aging comps

The closest player-seasons in league history (1997–2025) to her current age, per-36 profile, and role — the careers her projection walks alongside.

  • Razija Brcaninovic · 1998 · age 32
  • Tianna Hawkins · 2023 · age 33
  • Kamila Vodichkova · 2004 · age 32

Durability context: 43% of her 40 nearest comps had no qualified season two years on — projection ranges assume she's still playing.

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