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Two former Northwestern Wildcats will be in action when the WNBA’s 29th season tips off on Friday night, as Valkyries guard Veronica Burton and Dream forward Nia Coffey have each made their respective teams’ active rosters.
The Golden State Valkyries are set to play their first game in franchise history since becoming an expansion team this offseason, and Burton projects to have a significant role on the team. Burton was selected in the expansion draft following a career-best season in 2024 and started both of Golden State’s preseason games.
The Dallas Wings drafted Burton No. 7 overall in 2022, but she struggled to get minutes among a backcourt that also featured Arike Ogunbowale, Allisha Gray and Marina Mabrey. After being waived last May, Burton signed with the Connecticut Sun during the season and averaged career highs in points, shooting percentage and three-point percentage.
At Northwestern, Burton was a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, a three-time All-Big Ten honoree and a 2022 All-American. With No. 12 running the point, the Wildcats won the Big Ten Championship in 2020 and earned an NCAA Tournament berth in 2021. Burton ranks third all-time in program history in assists and second in steals.
Coffey is entering her ninth season in the WNBA, which includes her fourth consecutive year with the Atlanta Dream. After starting just 35 games over her first five seasons in the league, Coffey has made 58 starts for Atlanta since 2022.
In 2017, Coffey became the highest-drafted Northwestern women’s basketball player ever when the San Antonio Stars selected her No. 5 overall. Coffey played just two seasons with the Stars/Las Vegas Aces before getting traded to Atlanta, then spent one year apiece with the Dream, Mercury and Sparks. She returned to Atlanta as a free agent in 2022 and has used her size as a key piece of the team’s frontcourt.
Coffey was a four-time All-Big Ten player at Northwestern and is second all-time in Northwestern history with 2,287 points. The forward also holds career program records for the most rebounds, free throws and consecutive games scoring in double figures.
The Dream are set to take on the Mystics Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT, while the Valkyries will host the Sparks at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT in their first-ever game.
