{"id":147603,"date":"2025-09-16T07:52:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T07:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/147603\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T07:52:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T07:52:09","slug":"how-wnba-expansion-draft-stole-budding-star-from-connecticut-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/147603\/","title":{"rendered":"How WNBA Expansion Draft Stole Budding Star from Connecticut Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Connecticut Sun<\/a> is watching the playoffs from the couch for the first time in several years. One of their former players will be a haunting reminder of what could have been.<\/p>\n

The Golden State Valkyries, the league\u2019s newest team, likely won\u2019t last long this postseason. They drew the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx and are already down 1-0 in the best-of-three series. But, in terms of that franchise\u2019s future, it looks bright. The roster features a player the Sun let get away.<\/p>\n

Veronica Burton<\/a> was with the Sun<\/a> last year as a reserve guard. With the Valkyries this season, she is the WNBA\u2019s most improved player, an award announced on Monday. It\u2019s a lesson in how your approach to the expansion draft matters. <\/p>\n

Veronica Burton of the @valkyries<\/a> is your 2025 WNBA KIA Most Improved Player!<\/p>\n

Burton embraced a new opportunity in Golden State, and went from 3.1 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 1.9 APG and 0.5 SPG a szn ago to averaging career-highs of 11.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 6.0 APG and 1.1 SPG \ud83d\udc4f
#KIAMIP<\/a> | @KIA<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/KQD6bCTpTk<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 WNBA (@WNBA) September 15, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The WNBA allowed each team to protect up to five players from last year\u2019s expansion draft, which allowed Golden State to stock its first roster. The Sun left Burton unprotected, hoping that the Valkyries would pass her over. Well, Golden State thought enough of her to make her its third pick in the expansion draft. <\/p>\n

Burton was coming off a 2024 season in which she averaged 3.1 points, 1.4 rebounds 1.9 assists and 0.5 steals per game. Golden State put her in a primary role, and she had a career season, as she averaged 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game. <\/p>\n

The Sun could have used that this season, as they finished with one of the worst records in the WNBA. She also would have been a fantastic fit with a young core of players that are set to return next season, including Leila Lacan, Saniya Rivers and Aneesah Morrow. <\/p>\n

General manager Morgan Tuck, who just wrapped up her first season, talked about the difficulty of those expansion choices in a recent interview with the Hartford Courant<\/a> (subscription required). She faces more difficult choices this offseason as the league is going to expand by two teams in Portland and Toronto.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe plan as much as we can, but there\u2019s the uncertainty and expansion and all that type of stuff \u2026 so you don\u2019t want to plan too far with the roster, because you could lose it,\u201d she said. \u201cWe obviously had to start over completely this year, so the goal is that we\u2019re not doing that again \u2026 For us it\u2019s kind of just staying the course, staying true to what we want and don\u2019t get caught up in the meantime.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sun won\u2019t know how many players it can protect until the league and the players\u2019 union agree to a new collective bargaining agreement. But Connecticut may lose more than just one player in this expansion draft. <\/p>\n