Veronica Burton (left) and Kaitlyn Chen (right) of the Golden State Valkyries talk before a game against the Chicago Sky on Aug. 12, 2026, at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Golden State Valkyries guards Veronica Burton (left) and Kaitlyn Chen have become close friends over the past two seasons. “Basketball is such a team sport, and it’s such a chemistry-based sport, so the more tight knit that you are as a group, I think 100% translates [on the court],” Burton said. Noah Graham / NBAE via Getty Images
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Veronica Burton: The Golden State Valkyries’ love and respect for each other shows on and off court

‘There’s a level of joy when you love one another. You play with that same love,’ she says

Mia Berry @Iammiaberry
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Golden State Valkyries Sports WNBA

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    Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton’s friendships with teammates — particularly fellow guard Kaitlyn Chen – have become an important part of her second season with the franchise.

    The chemistry the Valkyries display on the court has been built over practices, locker-room jokes, pickup pickleball games and various outings. For Burton, building relationships isn’t separate from building a winning team – it’s a part of it. 

    “I’ll tell anyone – basketball is such a team sport and it’s such a chemistry-based sport, so the more tight knit that you are as a group, I think 100% translates [on the court],” Burton said. “There’s just a level of joy when you love one another. You play with that same love on the court.

    “I think that’s why our fanbase can appreciate us so much, because there’s just a genuine joy for one another.”

    In Episode 4 of her WNBA Diary on Andscape, Burton and several teammates practice their swings at Topgolf and dine at Meski, a San Francisco restaurant co-owned by restaurateur Guma Fassil, executive chef Nelson German and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.

    Throughout the evening, Burton discusses her team’s camaraderie, the Valkyries’ expectations as the No. 2 seed entering the WNBA playoffs, and lessons learned from last year’s playoff run.

    Mia Berry is the senior HBCU writer for Andscape and covers everything from sports to student-led protests. She is a Detroit native (What up Doe!), long-suffering Detroit sports fan and Notre Dame alumna who randomly shouts, "Go Irish."