Veronica Burton: The title of this chapter is gratitude
In the final episode of her seasonlong video diary, the Golden State Valkyries guard reflects on the team’s path to the WNBA championship and her growth over the season
SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton began the 2026 WNBA season as the league’s reigning Most Improved Player. She ended it as a WNBA champion.
Four days after defeating the Atlanta Dream in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals on Halloween, the Valkyries and an estimated 400,000 fans celebrated with a championship parade that stretched nearly 2 miles from the Ferry Building at the Embarcadero to Oracle Park.
For Burton, the day was filled with memorable moments. She spent time with R&B singer Kehlani and shared a float with teammates Kaitlyn Chen and Laeticia Amihere, trading jokes, shotgunning beer and singing Beyoncé’s “Best Thing I Never Had.” It was a celebration that reflected their joy as members of the Valkyries team that earned the franchise’s first championship.
The lighthearted moments between Burton and Chen were familiar to anyone who followed the Valkyries throughout their championship run. Chen had brought that same energy to Chase Center ahead of Game 7, arriving dressed for Halloween in a hot dog costume before joining Burton for their signature pregame dance to “Hit the Quan.”
“I think just doing that stuff that we’ve done since the beginning of the season just allowed us to settle in and just understand that, yes, this is a big game, but it still is just a basketball game,” Burton said.
The championship was also the latest milestone for Burton in a remarkable year. In March, she won an Unrivaled league title with the Mist Basketball Club, and in June, she reached 1,000 points for her career. In October, Burton became just the second WNBA guard ever to record four blocks in a Finals game, joining Diana Taurasi.
From the work that went into earning her place in the league to delivering in the biggest moments of the postseason, Burton now gets to celebrate what her journey has produced.
“The fact that we were able to capture so much of this year is surreal,” Burton said. “And of course, I think that in and of itself is God’s timing to see from the beginning to the end. … I think I’ve become more comfortable expressing myself, expressing the highs and lows that I’ve experienced and letting people into a side of me that I typically probably close off.”
In the final episode of her seasonlong video diary on Andscape, Burton reflects on the path to winning a WNBA championship and her growth over the season.