In a career spanning a decade, Kayla Thornton has not shown any off days. The Texas-native has given her 100 percent in every team she has been on so far. And the results speak for themselves. 2024 WNBA Champion, 2019 WKBL Champion and MVP, 2023 Commissioner’s Cup Champion, and 2025 WNBA All-Star: these are some of the few accolades under her belt. Naturally, a player of her experience and caliber will rake in high salaries. Let’s take a closer look at the net worth of the WNBA player along with her career earnings and endorsements.
What is Kayla Thornton’s net worth?
Kayla Thornton’s net worth, as of 2025, is estimated to be around $1 million to $1.25 million. This will be her ninth season as a WNBA player, and she brings in a lot of experience to the first-year team of the Golden State Valkyries. At a height of 6 feet 1, Thornton started her career in 2014, unfortunately, with some hiccups. She went undrafted in the 2014 WNBA draft and chose to play in the Puerto Rican team Montaneras de Morovis and the Israeli team Maccabi Ramat Hen.
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With a standout performance overseas, the Washington Mystics decided to give her a chance in 2015. Unfortunately, they decided she was not a fit for them as a forward and decided to waive her. However, Thornton did not lose hope over this crushing start to her career and turned to her faith for motivation. With standout performances overseas yet again, this time the Dallas Wings called her in 2018. And the impact was immediate.
By 2018, she was a starter for Dallas, and by 2019, she was averaging 10.4 points for them, her second-career best numbers. Her equally impressive stints continued at New York Liberty, where she got her WNBA Champion and Commissioner’s Cup Champion titles. With Golden State Valkyries now, she’s averaging her career-best number in points and rebounds, going 14 PPG and 7 RPG this season. Let’s take a look at the numbers she’s bringing home with her performance.
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Thornton’s Contract Breakdown
While Thornton has been competing in the WNBA since 2015, her contract details with the Washington Mystics are not known. She did not have a traditional contract with the Washington Mystics, but rather signed a training camp contract. Unfortunately, she was waived in the preseason. Then Thornton later signed to the opening day roster but was waived again after 10 games. Details of this contract are not public yet.
The public details are her Dallas Wings and New York Liberty contracts. Kayla Thornton signed a one-year, $41,248 contract with the Dallas Wings in the 2018 season. Following that, she got a three-year, $262,900 contract from Wings with an average salary of $87,633. She was about to enter free agency in 2022, but got another contract from Dallas, this time worth $305,956 in three years.
For 2024, Thornton signed a 2-year, $222,000 contract with the New York Liberty, including an average annual salary of $111,000. In 2025, Thornton will earn a base salary of $112,000 and an incentive bonus of $20,000, while carrying a cap hit of $132,000 with the Golden State Valkyries. In 2026, she’ll be an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team.
Kayla Thornton’s Career Earnings
Now in her ninth year in the league, the veteran WNBA player has amassed a lot through her career. And why shouldn’t she? Her performance backs the numbers she gets. Totalling all the contracts she’s received from all her previous WNBA teams, Thornton has earned upwards of $832K, according to Spotrac. Now, as she enters free agency in 2026, she’s most likely to get another contract from the Golden State Valkyries, presumably amounting to a higher number than this year. However, that’s not the only source of her earnings, as she also backs it up with off-season overseas play and endorsements. But her love for basketball started way early.
Thornton’s College and Professional Career
A standout at UTEP from 2010-14, she graduated as El Paso’s all-time leading scorer with 1,679 career points. And in her senior year posted UTEP’s first-ever season, averaging a double-double: 19.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Despite going undrafted in the 2014 WNBA Draft, Thornton earned a roster spot with the Washington Mystics in 2015, appearing in 10 games.
In 2017, she joined the Dallas Wings. Over six seasons, she became a reliable two-way forward, averaging roughly 8 points and 5 rebounds per game in her peak years. In January 2023, Thornton was traded to the New York Liberty. She helped lead them to consecutive Finals appearances and finally a WNBA title in 2024.
On December 6, 2024, in the WNBA expansion draft, the newly-formed Golden State Valkyries selected her from New York’s roster. Thornton is widely respected not just for her scoring or rebounding, but for guarding multiple positions effectively. While her on-court presence is commanding, her off-court presence runs equally strong.
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Kayla Thornton’s Brand Endorsements
Kayla Thornton represents New Balance, a brand that has been expanding its footprint in the WNBA by partnering with versatile players like her. Alongside Cameron Brink, Kayla Thornton reps the shoe brand on the hardwood. She’s donned the Two Way V3, along with a custom-painted gradient teal-to-black fade. Her New Balance shoe also highlights the Liberty logo along the heel. However, the exact details of her contract with the shoe brand remain unknown.
Ultimately, her experience and steady career have translated into high salaries and a strong net worth boosted by major endorsements.