How Veronica Burton went from out of the WNBA to guarding Caitlin Clark in the playoffs

Veronica Burton was waived from the Dallas Wings in May. Just four months later, she was the x-factor in eliminating Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — For the entire second quarter of Wednesday’s deciding matchup between the Connecticut Sun and Indiana Fever, Veronica Burton never subbed out.

The 5 ‘9 Sun guard matched up with Caitlin Clark full court, while also exploding for 8 points in the period. Burton didn’t know she was going to play 24 minutes in Game 2, but with starting guard Ty Harris sidelined with an ankle injury, she knew there was an increased chance she’d be needed.

In turn, the same player who was waived from the Dallas Wings just a few minutes ago quickly established herself one of the Sun’s most important pieces in a critical playoff victory. She finished Game 2 with 10 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds, and with a plus/minus of +10, the second-best on the team. As such, the Sun advanced to the semi-finals, sweeping the Fever in the first-round series.

“When it comes down to playoffs in general — this is where we want to be,” Burton told SB Nation after the win. “This is what we work for.”

Veronica Burton spent the first two seasons of her WNBA career with the Wings, before being suddenly cut from the team in June. It was a tough moment, she said, noting the strong relationships she built with teammates and members of the organization.

“But, at the end of the day, that’s kind of a part of this league,” Burton told me when she first joined the Sun a few months ago.

From the jump, Burton’s fit in Connecticut was undeniable. She was a defensive-minded guard, and an effective facilitator. A standout defender for four years at Northwestern University, she could handle the task of matching up with the opponents’ best player, while also serving as a floor spacer, shooting 35.1% from three as a Sun.

In addition, her emergence as a reliable backup point guard allowed the Sun to use Moriah Jefferson as a trade chip to acquire Marina Mabrey, a move that significantly improved Connecticut’s championship chances.

Now, with a record-breaking 2.5 million people watching, Burton was in the midst of all the action, guarding the most high-profile player in the game.

“I was definitely excited to be in this game, be in this moment,” Burton said. “When guarding someone like Caitlin Clark, obviously it’s an incredible task to do so, and it’s a challenge.”

Clark still had a very good game — she finished with 25 points (10-23 FG), 9 assists, and 6 rebounds.

But, Burton still made life difficult.

“She’s going to get hers,” Burton said. “But it’s definitely something you look forward to.”

Burton is the youngest of four siblings, and has been an elite defender since she first picked up basketball.

“The aggressiveness has always been there, just being the youngest of four,” Burton said. “The hand eye coordination I developed over time, just doing a lot of tennis ball drills to get deflections.”

The recognition came early on. At Northwestern, Burton was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year three years in a row, and finished her college career with the third-most steals in conference history.

“It’s something that I took a lot of pride in, and at Northwestern that was something that we kind of found their identity in,” Burton said. “I was able to just thrive on that end of the floor.”

Today, she has the second-best defensive rating of any WNBA player who’s averaged 10+ minutes in 30+ games.

Teammate DiJonai Carrington, who has established herself as one of the league’s premier guard defenders, praised Burton for her contributions in Wednesday’s win.

“V is ready every time, whenever her number is called — whether it’s for two minutes, whether it’s for 25 minutes, it doesn’t matter,” Carrington said. “She’s been on the All Defensive team in college, she knows that that’s one of her roles on this team — to pick up and to guard people 94 feet.”

After the buzzer sounded, Carrington immediately ran over to celebrate with Burton.

“We use V a lot like we use Nai [DiJonai Carrington],” Stephanie White said after the win. “She’s always got to check a tough opponent.”

In two postseason games, Burton is averaging 9 points on 60% shooting in 22 minutes. It’s a substantial increase from her regular season average of 3.1 points per game, and it’s reflective of an increased intention to score.

“I think sometimes it’s easy for me to kind of get glued into a facilitative role, but my teammates give me the confidence, my coaches give me the confidence to be aggressive, look to score,” Burton said.

The emphasis on offensive aggression did not go unnoticed by her teammates.

“We needed that,” Carrington said. “We really did.”

Plus, doing so meant that she could tire out her opponent, who just so happens to be one of the top offensive talents in the world.

“Knowing who was on me — that was where I could be aggressive, and make Caitlin Clark guard, make whoever was on me not be able to just sag off and be a help defender, but kind of have to know where I’m at on the floor a little bit as well,” Burton said.

Burton, who is from Newton, Massachusetts, had friends, family, and old teammates in the stands — something she was acutely aware of.

“Every time my mom does her little a famous whistle that would always get our attention growing up, and she does that before every game,” Burton said. “And so I always look over to her.”

With the win, the Connecticut Sun advanced to the the semi-finals, where they’ll face the Minnesota Lynx in a best-of-five series that tips off Sunday. Ty Harris’s status in that one was unclear — Stephanie White said Harris was making progress, and she was already listed on the injury report as questionable in Wednesday’s win after a nasty spill in Game 1.

But, regardless of Harris’s availability, Burton has shown that she can be counted on when the lights are brightest. Even though just a few months ago, she was waiting

“It’s just a blessing. That’s what I view it as — literally from above. Honestly, my faith is what kept me grounded throughout the process and kept me ready, and God has prepared me and given me tremendous opportunity. So, I’m really grateful for it, and I’m grateful for the Connecticut Sun organization.”