Veronica Burton Wins 2025 WNBA Most Improved Player

Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton won the WNBA’s Most Improved Player award, the league announced Monday. Burton received 68 of 72 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

Los Angeles Sparks forward Azura Stevens finished in second place with two votes, while Atlanta’s Allisha Gray and Minnesota’s Natisha Hiedeman tied for third with one vote each.

Veronica Burton Averaged Career-High Numbers With Valkyries

Burton averaged career highs of 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and 29.4 minutes in 44 games (all starts), becoming one of five players to average double-digit points for the Valkyries this season.

Per Basketball Reference, she also shot a career-best 38.7% from the floor. Her player efficiency rating (19.3), true shooting percentage (56.1%), and usage percentage (20.3%) were also career highs.

In 31 games (one start) with the Connecticut Sun last season, she averaged just 3.1 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 12.7 minutes per contest while shooting 36.1% from the field and 35.1% from deep.

She became the first player in WNBA history to increase her averages by at least five points, two rebounds, and two assists per game from one season to the next (minimum 30 games played in each season), according to the WNBA.

Burton Was Selected No. 7 Overall In 2022 WNBA Draft

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Burton ended the regular season ranked third in the WNBA in assists per game and fourth with a 2.82 assist-to-turnover ratio (min. 10 games played).

In Golden State’s 98-91 home loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Aug. 19, she became the first player in WNBA history to have at least 24 points and 14 assists with no turnovers in a game.

She is the only player in the league this season with three games of 10 or more assists and zero turnovers.

Burton was drafted by the Dallas Wings with the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft. After playing two seasons with Dallas and one season with Connecticut, she was selected by Golden State in the 2024 expansion draft.

She helped lead the Valkyries to a 23-21 record and a playoff appearance, making them the first expansion team in WNBA history to reach the postseason.