Valkyries' Veronica Burton's Touching Message After Winning Award

The Golden State Valkyries were not expected to be anything special in their inaugural 2025 season, but they ended up being one of the best stories in sports. The Valkyries became the first expansion team in WNBA history to make the playoffs in their inaugural season, led by head coach Natalie Nakase and a surprising roster. First-year expansion teams are never expected to be competitive, as their rosters are composed of players that other teams did not want, but the Valkyries were able to build a competitive playoff team. Of course, credit could be given to the front office, the coaches, or the players themselves, but it is undoubtedly a team effort all around to make the Valkyries this special. The Associated Press released its 2025 WNBA awards on Friday, and the Valkyries were well represented. Of course, Nakase won AP Coach of the Year after leading Golden State to a historic season, but that was not it. Fourth-year guard Veronica Burton was named AP Most Improved Player of the Year for her incredible 20