Veronica Burton accomplished her dream of being drafted into the WNBA, but that wasn’t the only highlight of her Monday evening.
Burton, a native of Newton, Mass., also received a message of congratulations from Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.
After Burton was selected by the Wings with the No. 7 pick in Monday’s WNBA draft, a video emerged of the seven-time Super Bowl champion congratulating the former Northwestern point guard. In the short clip, Brady complimented Burton on all of her collegiate success before wishing her the best in her professional career.
“We know you embody everything about the spirit of the whole community,” he said in a video shared by the WNBA. “It’s going to take you a long way in life, it’s going to take you a long way in your basketball career and it’s going to take you a long way with your family.”
Burton is a stout defensive player who also served as the Wildcats floor general for the past four seasons. In her senior year, she led the nation in steals per game (4.0), while averaging 17.8 points, 6.4 assists and 5.5 rebounds. She was named Big Ten Defensive Player for the third consecutive year and became the first Northwestern women’s basketball player to be named to an AP All-America team.
Burton will join the Wings, who went 14–18 during the 2021 season. Dallas was eliminated in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs by the Sky.
