What saying goodbye to Kayla Thornton means for the New York Liberty

The selection wasn’t a surprise: The Athletic had reported hours prior to the expansion draft show on ESPN that Thornton was expected to be taken by Golden State. It also isn’t a reason for the Liberty to panic or scramble.

The Next, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom

The Next: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.

When New York built its 2024 roster, the expansion draft at the end of the calendar year was always top of mind. After falling to the Las Vegas Aces in the 2023 WNBA Finals, New York decided to build its bench with more versatile wings who could defend multiple positions, drive and shoot. The team signed Kennedy Burke and rookie Leonie Fiebich to join Thornton and veteran Betnijah Laney-Hamilton.

But then the Liberty made an unexpected trade in mid-March that initially posed some questions. They gave up two second-round draft picks to the Chicago Sky for the rights to defensive-minded slasher and 2020 WNBA All-Rookie Team selection Rebekah Gardner. She had just torn her Achilles while playing overseas in Spain.

Since 2023, the Liberty’s philosophy has been to have multiple players who can play the same role. That not only prepares the team to handle inescapable and unexpected injuries, but it also comes in handy in moments like this. So when the day came for the Golden State Valkyries to make their expansion draft selections, the Liberty wouldn’t have to scramble to replace a player they couldn’t protect.

Gardner, who rehabbed from surgery all summer and fall with the Liberty’s athletic training staff, is now 34 years old. She is a proven pro player who could replace Thornton, but she still has work to do before returning to play. While a source familiar with the situation told The Next that Gardner is progressing well and that there is cautious optimism around the Liberty’s front office, Gardner is still just a potential option rather than a certain solution.

New York could also bring back Burke, an unrestricted free agent. Like Thornton, Burke can play the three and four positions — although head coach Sandy Brondello preferred Burke playing power forward to either back up Breanna Stewart or play alongside her.

Thornton’s departure cuts deeper in the locker room

On paper, the New York Liberty might have made it past Friday’s expansion draft without much to worry about. They have options to fill what Thornton provides on the court — hitting clutch threes, creating pivotal defensive stops and out-hustling opponents. But in the locker room is where the Liberty might miss Thornton most.

Fans and teammates of Thornton’s have been posting memories and reflecting on what it was like to have her on the Liberty for two seasons and be a part of New York’s first championship team.

Stewart and Jones were live-tweeting their feelings about losing their teammate. Stewart even lamented that her daughter Ruby might be just as upset as she is, if not more.

Burke posted her favorite moments with Thornton on her Instagram story, while Nyara Sabally posted a picture collage of Thornton alongside a meme of fashion icon Anna Wintour.

Thornton’s off-court impact often included giving her teammates confidence and being in their ears when situations weren’t going their way. She led all the pregame bench huddles and was the voice of reason and comic relief during some of the most vulnerable team discussions. She broke awkward silences and had antics that made the entire team laugh.

She passed out on roller coasters and was loudly and proudly a stan of fast food pizza chain Papa Johns. She helped Jones brainstorm the “We All We Got, We All We Need” chant that followed the Liberty throughout their championship run. Thornton embodied the most typical team sport cliche: She was the Liberty’s glue.

Alongside her on-court impact, all of those characteristics were the intangibles that were so attractive to the Golden State front office. And it helped that Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin spent 2023 in New York as the Liberty’s assistant general manager.

Want even more women’s sports in your inbox?

Subscribe now to our sister publication The IX and receive our independent women’s sports newsletter six days a week. Learn more about your favorite athletes and teams around the world competing in soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers.

Readers of The Next now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.

While Nyanin is excited to be reunited with Thornton, she understands how high the emotions are running for her former players, colleagues and friends in New York.

“For me personally, it was the hardest pick because I just came from there,” Nyanin told reporters after the selections were announced. “And I know the athletes, and I know the connections.

“When [Valkyries head] coach Natalie [Nakase] explained to me the type of athlete that she’s looking for both on and off the court, [Thornton] is who came to mind. She is a defensive specialist. She has grown her game to be able to shoot the three. She’s a ball of energy. She’s a vet. She knows how to bring people together.”

Thornton’s final hurrah in a Liberty jersey will be remembered: She played 20 pivotal minutes when her team struggled to score and helped will the Liberty to a championship.

“We want to find players that, when the lights are the brightest and the stakes are at the highest, they’re gonna shine and be ready for it,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said about the Liberty’s bench when the team was honored at City Hall in late October. “And I think in Game 5 … you saw Kayla Thornton come in this game and do what she did, which we know she can do.”

Thornton made her mark not only by showing what she can do, but also by being herself and allowing her teammates to do the same.

Order ‘Rare Gems’ and save 30%

Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The Next and The IX, released his latest book on May 7, 2024. This deeply reported story follows four connected generations of women’s basketball pioneers, from Elvera “Peps” Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.

If you enjoy his coverage of women’s basketball every Wednesday at The IX, you will love “Rare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.” Click the link below to order and enter MEGDAL30 at checkout.

“It is incredibly difficult to say goodbye to a player like [Thornton] who contributed to the New York Liberty in so many ways over these past two years, including our franchise’s first-ever championship,” Kolb said in a team statement on Friday. “KT quickly became an indelible part of the Liberty family during her two seasons here.”

While Liberty players, basketball operations staff and other front office employees deal with the emotional repercussions of the first WNBA expansion draft in 16 years, Thornton will make her way back to New York on May 27 to receive her championship ring. But this time, she’ll be wearing different colors.