Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase praises Kayla Thornton in her first game back since season-ending injury

SAN FRANCISCO – As per her postgame tradition, Golden State Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin stood in the tunnel high-fiving and hyping up the trail of players coming off the court after their 78-76 preseason win over the Seattle Storm. Par for the course for the general manager who values the human element in this business.

However, as Kayla Thornton rounded the corner, walking slowly, breathing heavily, but still grinning, Nyanin’s joy seemed to grow three times bigger as she greeted her with the loudest high-five of the night and an even louder smile.

The why behind Nyanin’s unmistakable happiness for the All-Star is easy to decipher: Thornton had just completed her first game back since her season-ending knee injury last season. Six months of rehab and recovery culminated in a modest seven points on 3-of-8 shooting in 15 limited preseason minutes.

After the game, coach Natalie Nakase had nothing but praise for Thornton.

“She had no fear, and that’s what I like to see,” Nakase said. Thornton was a game-time decision coming into the game but once she told Nakase she felt good enough to play, she got the green light to start.

“She said she felt good before the game, and she was confident. And so I said, Let’s rock and roll … If you guys just saw the behind-the-scenes of six months of rehab, it’s tough. And so I think she got to really celebrate herself out there a little bit to show you guys how much hard work [she’s put in].”

Nakase said she didn’t get a chance to check in with how Thornton’s body was feeling postgame because the team was too busy giving preseason standout Miela Sowah a water bottle shower. Otherwise, Nakase felt good about Thornton’s anticipated return.

The work Kayla Thornton put in to make her return

For Thornton, that hard work was spent mostly in the Bay, with a team of physical therapists and trainers to get her knee and body back in basketball shape. It’s a support system that Thornton credits for getting her through a tough time.

“There were days where I felt like I was on top of the mountain, and there were days where I was just like, ‘What’s going on?'” Thornton recounted earlier this week at training camp. “But I’m so thankful for our medical staff. I’m so thankful for Ohemaa [Nyanin] and our PD coach who poured so much into me this offseason to get me to this point right here.”

Nakase noted that with Thornton’s physicality and the way she carries herself as a leader, the team takes on a different kind of energy. Her teammate Veronica Burton understands the impact of Thornton’s return on the Valkyries.

“It was awesome to see KT back, of course, as a player,” Burton said postgame. “Sometimes with injury, you can play a little reserved or with a little bit of fear, but that’s not KT. Her as a leader, her voice, her energy, we all feed off of it. So it’s amazing to have KT back out there.”

Thornton still has a ways to go to get back to the All-Star level she was playing at before her injury — there’s still a lot of rust she has to knock off. But Step 1 of her return is complete, a step that Nakase believes is just the start.

“This is just the beginning,” Nakase said. “KT, I’m gonna give her a lot of time to continue to build her strength back, and her timing and her rhythm with her teammates. But for a preseason game, I thought she was great.”

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