NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2025 – Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton has been named the 2025 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player, the WNBA announced today.

Burton received 68 of 72 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Azurá Stevens finished in second place with 2 votes, and Allisha Gray and Natisha Hiedeman tied for third with 1 vote each.

In her fourth WNBA season, Burton averaged career highs of 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 44 games, up from 3.1 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.5 steals in 31 games with the Connecticut Sun in 2024. She became the first player in WNBA history to increase her averages by at least five points, two rebounds and two assists per game from one season to the next (minimum 30 games played in each season).

The only Valkyries player to start all 44 regular-season games, Burton ranked third in the WNBA in assists per game and ninth in free throw percentage (87.8). On Aug. 19 against the Phoenix Mercury, she became the first player in WNBA history to have at least 24 points, at least 14 assists and no turnovers in a game. It was one of her three games in 2025 with 10 or more assists and no turnovers, a WNBA single-season record.

Burton helped the Valkyries (23-21) set the WNBA record for victories by an expansion team in its inaugural season. She also led the Valkyries to be the first expansion team to reach the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google in its first season.

Burton was selected by the Dallas Wings with the seventh overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm. After playing two seasons with Dallas and one season with Connecticut, she was selected by the Valkyries in the 2024 WNBA Expansion Draft presented by State Farm.

In honor of being named the Kia WNBA Most Improved Player, Burton will receive $5,150 and a trophy designed to commemorate her achievement.

Below are the voting results for the 2025 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player Award and a list of past recipients

2025 KIA WNBA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER VOTING RESULTS

KIA WNBA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER WINNERS

2000 – Tari Phillips, New York

2001 – Janeth Arcain, Houston

2002 – Coco Miller, Washington

2003 – Michelle Snow, Houston

2004 – Kelly Miller/Wendy Palmer, IND/CON

2005 – Nicole Powell, Sacramento

2006 – Erin Perperoglou, Sacramento

2007 – Janel McCarville, New York

2008 – Ebony Hoffman, Indiana

2009 – Crystal Langhorne, Washington

2010 – Leilani Mitchell, New York

2011 – Kia Vaughn, New York

2012 – Kristi Toliver, Los Angeles

2013 – Shavonte Zellous, Indiana

2014 – Skylar Diggins-Smith, Tulsa

2015 – Kelsey Bone, Connecticut

2016 – Elizabeth Williams, Atlanta

2017 – Jonquel Jones, Connecticut

2018 – Natasha Howard, Seattle

2019 – Leilani Mitchell, Phoenix

2020 – Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Atlanta

2021 – Brionna Jones, Connecticut

2022 – Jackie Young, Las Vegas

2023 – Satou Sabally, Dallas

2024 – DiJonai Carrington, Connecticut

2025 – Veronica Burton, Golden State

About Kia America

Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top automotive quality surveys. Kia is recognized as one of the TIME World’s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024. Kia serves as the “Official Automotive Partner” of the WNBA and NBA and offers a range of gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles sold through a network of nearly 800 dealers in the U.S., including several cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America*.  

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