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The WNBA announced on Monday that Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton had won the league’s Most Improved Player Award after averaging 11.9 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 4.4 RPG this season for the new expansion franchise. In the three seasons before, she had never averaged more than 3.1 PPG in a season.
Burton was originally drafted 7th overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2022 WNBA Draft, lasting just two seasons before she was waived ahead of the 2024 season. After being waived, she signed with the Connecticut Sun, and then was selected by the Valkyries in the expansion draft.
She blossomed with Golden State, helping the Valkyries make WNBA history by becoming the first expansion franchise to make the playoffs in a team’s first year, and she finished third in the league in total assists.
Compare that to the Wings, who, despite having Paige Bueckers, were the worst team in the WNBA, and have the best odds to land the first pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Although that’s a great chance to add premier talent alongside Bueckers, who looks like a future superstar, they’d probably rather just be in the playoffs. Having another playmaker like Burton could’ve really helped the Wings this season.
READ MORE: Dallas Wings guard reflects on rookie season
The Dallas Wings are likely to have an award winner of their own, though, as Paige Bueckers is the clear favorite to win the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year. There’s even a decent chance that she’s the unanimous winner despite a strong season from Washington’s Sonia Citron. In most seasons, Citron would be a Rookie of the Year, but Bueckers had one of the best rookie seasons of all time.
Bueckers was already voted the Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press, but she’s still waiting on the official award to come through. She should also land on an All-WNBA team, but there’s a debate on whether she’ll be First Team or Second Team. That’s how impressive a season she had despite the Wings being pretty bad.
READ MORE: Paige Bueckers stands in the paint for WNBA’s CBA negotiations
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