For Golden State Valkyries’ Veronica Burton, finding her peace is the key to making progress on the court
Guard leans on her faith and daily routine to stay grounded throughout the WNBA season
More than 3,000 miles from her roots in Newton, Massachusetts, Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton has made San Francisco her second home.
Over the past two years, she has spent much time learning the city, embracing its quirks and discovering hidden gems. One of her favorite haunts is Bluestone Lane, a local coffee shop where she often brings teammates, family and friends for a moment of calm away from the demands of the WNBA season.
Burton knows professional basketball careers can change overnight as teams win or lose and players’ roles evolve. However, her morning routine remains the same: sipping coffee – Bluestone Lane’s vanilla latte is her go-to order – reading her devotional, and savoring some quiet time.
“I’ve always been a very big routine person. Like, I have a plan in my head, I have times in my head, and if everything doesn’t go according to my time, it stresses me out,” she said. “So for me, the mornings are [in] my control.”
Faith has always been part of Burton’s story. Raised in a non-denominational Christian household, she grew up learning the importance of Scripture and prayer. Yet it wasn’t until her college years at Northwestern that she began studying the Bible for herself and figuring out how it applied to her life.
Having that foundation became even more significant, she said, as she navigated the uncertainty of her early pro basketball career. Now, amid the constant travel, packed schedule and emotional highs and lows of playing in the WNBA, her faith has become a constant in her life – a source of balance, perspective and peace that isn’t defined by the outcome of a game.
“I think peace is one of the greatest gifts that I could ever ask for,” Burton said. “It can’t be circumstance based and it can’t be circumstantial because there’s so much that’s not in my control, and that can be terrifying and exhausting. … So, peace is something I pray for every single day, numerous times a day, because the Lord knows I need it.
“I think any career can be really taxing, even when you love it. Like, I love my job – I really do. But at the end of the day, I can’t rely on it to give me peace because on any given night I can go 0-for-10 with five turnovers … and if that is what my peace is dictated on, then it’s just going to be a roller coaster.”
Though her name generated All-Star buzz throughout the first half of the season, Burton ultimately fell short of earning her first selection. The Golden State Valkyries (19-8) sit third in the league’s standings entering the All-Star break, and Burton is one of the engines behind that success, averaging 11.9 points, 5.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
Midway through the 2026 season, she believes the biggest difference isn’t reflected in the box score but in her mindset.
After spending past year proving she belonged in the league and ultimately emerging as the league’s Most Improved Player, Burton has accepted the responsibility that comes with being one of the faces of the Valkyries. She said she is playing with greater composure and confidence, fully embracing her role as a leader whose primary responsibility is to impact winning.
That growth has required her to let go of the belief that she has to carry every burden herself.
“I won’t get anywhere if I try and do it on my own … in basketball, in my life and my spiritual life, like, in everything,” Burton said. “I can’t do it alone without God, but I also can’t do it alone without the people around me and relying on the people around me because we’re not meant to. … We’re better when we’re relying on each other.”
On July 12, Burton celebrated her 26th birthday, a milestone that offered her a chance to reflect on just how much has changed in her life. Four seasons removed from entering the WNBA as a first-round draft pick in 2022, she’s no longer simply trying to find her footing in the league. She believes she is a more experienced player and a more grounded woman.
“I know a lot more at 26 than I did at 21, but if you asked me at 21, I knew everything there was to know,” Burton said, laughing. “I think 21-year-old Veronica Burton was in her own little bubble, was in a basketball bubble, and now I think I’m able to love basketball, be around basketball and also separate basketball from who I am.”
In Episode 2 of her video diary, Burton talks about her faith, the Bay Area becoming her second home, and the Valkyries’ team chemistry at the season’s midpoint.