Veronica Burton (No. 22) of the Mist BC has thrived in her rookie season in the 3×3 Unrivaled Basketball league. (Photo: Unrivaled Basketball)
MIAMI — Veronica Burton paused for a moment when she considered her basketball journey and adding to her family’s sports legacy.
Fresh off another strong all-around performance for the Mist BC, Burton could have pointed to the stat sheet. She could have talked about rankings, wins or the rapid rise she has experienced over the past year between the WNBA and Unrivaled.
Instead, her answer cut deeper.
“Yeah it’s a good question,” Burton said. “I think, like at the end of the day, the goal is to be great. I want to be great. And wthatever I do, whether it’s basketball or anything that I choose to pursue afterward so I’m going to work at it and I’m going to invest my time and energy into it.”
That mindset was on full display Monday night in the Mist’s 95-70 rout of Breeze BC.
Burton finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals while playing a team-high 18.2 minutes. She was one assist shy of a double-double and filled nearly every column on the box score in a game that underscored her impact on both ends of the floor.
The Mist controlled the tempo from the opening quarter, and Burton’s fingerprints were everywhere. She pushed the pace in transition, found shooters in rhythm and disrupted passing lanes defensively. Her three steals were emblematic of a season-long trend.
Through league play, Burton ranks second in steals at 1.8 per game, trailing only Aziaha James of the Hive BC at 2.0. Her 4.4 rebounds per game place her 18th overall in the league, a notable mark for a guard whose responsibilities extend well beyond crashing the glass.
It is the kind of production that speaks to versatility and also reflects preparation.
“It’s a rewarding feeling kind of seeing it pan out and it just motivates me even more to continue working,” Burton said. “I think there’s a lot to continue to grow in. And so that excites me.”
Growth has been a consistent theme in Burton’s basketball journey.
Over the past year, she has navigated the demands of competing in the W while carving out a meaningful role in Unrivaled. The transition has required adaptability, patience and an unrelenting work ethic. The 25-year-old guard has embraced each step, recently winning the 2025 WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year and being named
The Mist, featuring stars like Breanna Stewart, Allisha Gray, Arike Ogunbowale, Alanna Smith and Li Yueru, have benefited from Burton’s steady presence. In Monday night’s win, she directed traffic with poise, often initiating sets before the defense could settle. Her near triple-double effort did not come from forcing the issue. It came from reading it.
When defenders sagged, she attacked the paint. When help defenders collapsed, she kicked out to open teammates. When Breeze BC tried to generate momentum, Burton answered with a deflection, a rebound or a timely assist.
The numbers support what the eye test suggests. Her 1.8 steals per game are not the result of gambling for highlights. They are the product of anticipation and positioning. Her 4.4 rebounds per contest illustrate a willingness to mix it up in traffic, even against bigger players.
Still, Burton, a native of Newton, Massachusetts and alum of Northwestern University, measures success differently.
Veronica Burton has been a catalyst on both ends of the floor for the Mist BC. (Photo: Unrivaled Basketball)
“In terms of my family, I have a lot of family members that paved the way for me and introduced me to to a work ethic that I don’t take lightly,” she said. “So I think that’s the biggest thing.”
Burton’s family legacy in sports runs deep.
Her grandfather, Ron, was the first-ever draft pick of the Boston Patriots of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960, the franchise that would later become the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). His place in football history marked the beginning of a lineage defined by excellence and resilience as Burton wears the same number, 22, that her grandfather wore with the Patriots from 1960 to 1965.
Growing up around that history provided Burton with perspective. The expectations were never framed as pressure.
They were framed as opportunity.
Most recently, her father, Steve, a longtime WBZ TV sports anchor and director in Boston, was proud to see her featured on a billboard spotlighting San Francisco athletes when he was in “The City by the Bay” to cover the Patriots’ Super Bowl LX efforts.
Sports conversations were commonplace. Stories of preparation, sacrifice and professionalism were part of the fabric of family life. For Burton, those lessons translated into habits long before she became a professional athlete.
Work ethic, she said, is not something she treats lightly.
“More character at the end of the day, sports are fun,” Burton said. “They’re cool. It’s cool to be like good at a sport and it’s great. But at the end of the day, character is the biggest thing and this all will end. So I think that’s more important than any legacy on the court.”
That perspective adds dimension to her accomplishments.
In a league that rewards speed and scoring bursts, Burton’s game is rooted in substance. She does not chase moments. She builds them. Monday night’s performance was not an outlier but a continuation of a pattern that has elevated the Mist.
The 95-70 victory over Breeze BC showcased a team finding rhythm. Burton’s command of the floor helped unlock that rhythm. Her nine assists reflected trust. Her eight rebounds demonstrated grit. Her three steals highlighted awareness.
And while she finished with 10 points, her influence extended beyond scoring.
For a player who ranks among the league leaders in steals and sits comfortably in the top 20 in rebounding, the statistical résumé is already compelling. Yet Burton’s focus remains on refinement rather than recognition.
“The goal is to be great,” she said. “I want to be great.”
Greatness, in her view, is not confined to a single season or league. It is an approach.
It is investing time and energy into craft. It is remaining open to growth. It is understanding that accolades fade while character endures.
As the Mist continue their push, Burton’s role figures to expand. Her ability to impact the game in multiple ways provides flexibility for her coaches and stability for her teammates. Whether orchestrating the offense or disrupting an opponent’s rhythm, she brings consistency.
Monday’s rout offered another snapshot of that consistency.
Veronica Burton (No. 22) is not just continuing her family’s legacy in sports—she’s making for new incredible memories and accomplishments in her pro basketball career. (Photo: Unrivaled Basketball)
Burton controlled the flow without dominating the ball. She defended without overextending. She rebounded in traffic. She passed with precision. And when the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard reflected a comprehensive team effort anchored by her steady hand.
In a career that already bridges the W and Unrivaled, Burton stands at an intersection of legacy and possibility. Her grandfather’s place in professional football history provides context. Her own achievements are carving out a narrative uniquely hers.
For Burton, the pursuit is ongoing.
There is more to learn. More to refine. More to accomplish.
But as she considers what makes the journey meaningful, her answer remains grounded.
At the end of the day, she believes, character outlasts any box score.
And on a night when her stat line nearly told the entire story, it was that belief that revealed the most about Veronica Burton.
