From the hardwood of Newton South High School to the bright lights of the WNBA, Veronica Burton has had a remarkable rise. In her first season with the Golden State Valkyries, she won the league’s Most Improved Player award.

Back home, her community couldn’t be prouder. 

“I’m really happy for her that the combination of her work and the opportunity that she got in Golden State were able to fit in a way where she was able to show everyone what she’s capable of,” said Joe Rogers, who coached Veronica through her high school years at Newton South, where she graduated in 2018.

Born and raised in Newton, Veronica Burton played four years at Newton South High School and was captain for two years. She broke the school’s all-time scoring record with a total of 1,817 points—nearly 400 points more than the previous record. 

In the 2025 season, the first season she played for the expansion franchise Golden State Valkyries, she averaged career highs of 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 44 games.

Emily Chang has known Burton since fifth grade, and the two had played together at Newton South for two years. Seeing Burton win the Most Improved Player award this year didn’t surprise her.

“She’s not the tallest player, and she’s not the strongest player, but she is so smart with how she plays and her decision making is so quick,” Chang said. “She’s able to see things 10 steps ahead before they’re about to happen, and she’s able to always make the right pass or make the right decision.”

Chang said Burton’s work ethic and basketball IQ have always been strong, which made her stand out from the others. 

Burton’s journey in the WNBA was not smooth at the start. After playing four years at Northwestern University, she was selected the seventh overall pick in the 2022 WNBA draft, by the Dallas Wings. 

As a rookie, she played limited minutes. From 2022 to 2024, she played for Dallas Wings, Connecticut Sun, and AZS UMCS Lublin, a Polish university sports club. In 2024, the Valkyries selected Burton in the expansion draft, which became a turning point in her career.

Burton, 25, said the opportunity she got is the main factor contributing to her success.

“I think the organization instilled a lot of confidence in me and gave me a lot of opportunity from my coaches, my GM, and everyone,” Burton said in an interview with the Newton Beacon. 

Looking back, Burton said playing in Newton and serving as the team captain in high school helped her develop leadership skills that benefit her today.

Burton had played in the boy’s league in middle school–and was named the league’s MVP. “It stretched my mind and obviously challenged me physically too,” she said.

Rogers, who is in his 11th season coaching for Newton South High School, said he remembers vividly how excellent Burton was.

“She was the best player, and people were looking to her,” Rogers said. But that meant Burton had to deal with the pressure of every opponent trying to stop her.

Gifted players often go to prep schools and play with “all-star” teams, Rogers said, “but she didn’t do that. She stayed at her public school.”

Athletics run deep in the Burton family. Veronica’s father, Steve Burton, was a quarterback at Northwestern University and is now sports director at WBZ-TV in Boston. Her grandfather, Ron Burton, also played football for Northwestern and in the late 1950s was the first-ever draft pick of the Boston Patriots. In fact, every member of her immediate family has played a Division I sport.

“There’s a saying that my dad used to say: Once you stop getting better, you’re no longer good,” Steve Burton said. “So no matter if it’s sports or our jobs, we’re always trying to get better every day.”

Steve Burton said it’s always exciting to watch Veronica play. “The most important thing is no matter how high she goes, she stays grounded,” he added.

Veronica Burton said the close-knit community has shaped her both as a player and a person.

“The support that I had throughout Newton was instrumental to the rest of my career,” Burton said.

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This story is part of a partnership between the Newton Beacon and the Boston University Department of Journalism.