The Liberty will be losing a key reserve from their 2024 WNBA championship run.

The Golden State Valkyries are expected to take forward Kayla Thornton from the Liberty in the 2025 WNBA expansion draft, The Athletic reported Friday. 

Thornton, 32, is a nine-year veteran who can be a leader on what will likely be one of the league’s youngest teams.

It should help, too, that Golden State general manager Ohemaa Nyanin, previously the Liberty’s assistant general manager, has a preexisting relationship with Thornton. 

Last season, Thornton played all 40 regular season games and registered the team’s sixth-most minutes.

She provided a key spark off the bench, posting 5.5 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 35.7 percent from deep. 

It seemed likely that the Liberty couldn’t get out of Friday’s expansion draft unscathed. 

Per the expansion draft rules, teams can protect only six of their players, though those names were not released to the public.

It was a given that New York would protect Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Leonie Fiebich — the starting starting lineup who led the Liberty to the franchise’s first WNBA title in October.

Nyara Sabally, who was the unlikely heroine in Game 5 of the Finals, was likely the sixth player whom New York protected. 

That left Thornton susceptible to getting drafted Wednesday. 

The Valkyries are also expected to take guard Kate Martin from the Las Vegas Aces, according to The Athletic. 

The full list of the Valkyries’ Friday draft picks will be shared on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. ET.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.