Former Northwestern Guard Wins WNBA Championship

Former Northwestern women’s basketball standout Veronica Burton is officially a WNBA champion.

Burton and the Golden State Valkyries captured the franchise’s first WNBA title Saturday night, defeating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals at Chase Center. The Valkyries made history by winning their first championship after taking the series to a decisive seventh game.

Burton delivered a strong performance on the biggest stage, finishing with 10 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in 39 minutes. She also played a key role in the closing minutes, finding Gabby Williams for a go-ahead 3-pointer with just over two minutes remaining before knocking down two free throws to help seal the victory.

Williams led Golden State with 30 points and was named Finals MVP. Burton’s all-around performance helped the Valkyries complete the comeback and secure the championship after trailing the series 2-1.

Burton was an important contributor throughout Golden State’s postseason run, averaging 9.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 11 playoff games.

She was particularly productive during the first-round series against the Dallas Wings, averaging 12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists. She also recorded a 16-point, 10-rebound and six-assist performance in the deciding Game 3 victory.

In the WNBA Finals against Atlanta, Burton averaged 9.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists across the five games she played. She scored 13 points in each of Golden State’s Game 4 and Game 5 victories, helping the Valkyries regain control of the series.

Burton’s championship comes after another impressive regular season with Golden State. She averaged 12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, continuing to establish herself as one of the team’s key players.

Her development in the WNBA has been remarkable. After being selected seventh overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2022 WNBA Draft, Burton spent time with Dallas and Connecticut before joining Golden State through the 2025 expansion draft.

She enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign, earning WNBA Most Improved Player honors and a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team after averaging 11.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. Now, she has added a WNBA championship to her growing list of accomplishments.

Before making her mark in the WNBA, Burton was one of the most accomplished players in Northwestern women’s basketball history.

She played four seasons in Evanston from 2018-19 through 2021-22, finishing her collegiate career with 1,536 points, 575 assists and 394 steals across 115 games.

Burton averaged 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game during her Northwestern career, finishing third in program history in assists and second in steals.

Her senior season in 2021-22 was particularly impressive. Burton averaged 17.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 4.0 steals per game, earning AP Third Team All-American recognition and WBCA Defensive Player of the Year honors.

She also made history as a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, earning the award in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Burton became the first player in Northwestern women’s basketball history to earn AP All-American recognition.

The Dallas Wings selected Burton with the seventh overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, making her one of the highest draft picks in program history.

Now, four years after leaving Northwestern, Burton has reached the top of professional basketball. Her championship is another milestone for a former Wildcat who built an impressive legacy in Evanston and has continued to make her mark at the professional level.