PORTLAND – Kayla Thornton had five fouls. It still wasn’t much of a question to Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase that Thornton would be on the floor in the fourth quarter and overtime.

The Valkyries lost in Portland on Tuesday, surrendering a 17-point lead and struggling offensively and with turnovers. Thornton, who had four fouls by the third quarter, made the only shot of 11 attempts in overtime.

A year ago, the Valkyries couldn’t lean on the veteran forward after she missed the entire second half of the year, including the playoffs.

Now as they go into the postseason, her presence on the court is invaluable because Thornton understands what it takes to succeed.

“When the playoffs start, it’s a whole different season,” Thornton told Bay Area News Group. “It’s like, sure, kudos to what you did in the (regular) season, but now it’s postseason. It’s about really studying the film, knowing the details, and really knowing the personnel. Because that’s what it comes down to: knowing your opponent’s personnel.”

Thornton was a lockdown defender in New York’s championship run in 2024. She is one of three Valkyries players to win a WNBA title, along with Kiah Stokes in 2023 (alongside Natalie Nakase, who was an assistant with Las Vegas that season) and Cecilia Zandalasini, who won with Minnesota in 2017 and appeared in another Finals in 2024.

But the Valkyries didn’t have two thirds of that experience last season, with Stokes still in Vegas and Thornton out after tearing her meniscus at the end of July right after making her first All-Star team.

“KT is one of our leaders,” said Valkyries guard Kaila Charles. “She was our first All-Star for a reason. She’s a great player. So to have her this year is obviously going to make us stronger on both ends of the court.”

Nakase has seen Thornton’s veteran presence make a difference during the end of the regular season.

“There was a game where KT took what I said was a business-like approach,” she said. “It started with warmups, and it was kind of like a no BS type of mentality in warmups, and that’s what I think. She understood the assignment of like now we got to take another step because she’s been there. She’s won a championship, and so she gets the fact that we have to lock into all details.”

Thornton’s numbers are not what they were a year ago when she made the All-Star team. She led Golden State in scoring and rebounding before that injury, and this year she trails Kiah Stokes and Charles – a bench player – in rebounding and is scoring 7.8 points per game, more in line with the kind of player she was in Dallas four seasons ago.

But the Valkyries are also asking Thornton to play the five when Stokes is off the floor, something she has rarely done in her 14-year WNBA career, and relying on her to do a lot more than shoot.

“Last season was last season, but her being able to come back, being able to play the position that she’s been, especially at the four, and being able to guard multiple positions as well,” said assistant coach Landon Tatum. “Like, I think it’s just again like versatility for us, and just being able to have that personality that’s like very bubbly, happy, like competitive spirit as well, and like it’s something I think our whole team just continues to like embody.”

The Valkyries were generally banged up at the end of last season, with Thornton out while Tiffany Hayes (knee) and Temi Fagbenle (ankle) also missed Game 2 of the first round against Minnesota.

Golden State has gotten lucky with health this season, and that’s included all 43 games from Thornton in her return after an offseason of rehabbing.

“Just from everything from a veteran experience, her having won a championship, you know that’s huge coming down to this part of the year,” said Valkyries point guard Veronica Burton. “Just her as a teammate, the way she brings the energy to every single practice, every single game. Just have fun with her. She pours on other people. Her leadership holds people accountable.”

The Valkyries go into the playoffs this year with more experience because of making the postseason in their first year of existence, but also just in having Thornton available.

“She’s like, ‘We’re done making mistakes, we’re done just playing with energy,’” Nakase said. “We’re a team that understands execution now, and we’re a team that understands all four quarters. And I think KT behind closed doors, she’s been operating that way in the locker room for us, and I can’t thank her enough because when I’m not around, I’m just hoping the message is also being delivered constantly.”