Veronica Burton has risen as one of the standout young guards in the WNBA. Drafted by the 7th overall by Dallas Wings in 2022 and now making waves with the Golden State Valkyries, she’s earned a reputation for her elite defense, playmaking, and basketball IQ. Selected 3rd overall in the 2025 expansion draft, Burton has averaged 11.9 points and 6 assists per game on her way to winning the Most Improved Player award. But with her breakout performances drawing more attention, fans aren’t just asking about her game; they want to know: Who are the parents behind her success?

Who Are Veronica Burton’s Parents?

Veronica Burton’s parents are Steve and Ginni Burton, a Boston-based couple with deep ties to athletics. They have been consistent presences in Veronica’s basketball journey, attending games, celebrating milestones, and encouraging her during tough stretches. Her father, Steve, brings the perspective of a former athlete and long-time sports journalist, while her mother, Ginni Vath Burton, was an All-American swimmer for Northwestern. Together, they raised their children in a household where sports were a way of life, creating a natural environment for competition and discipline.

Veronica Burton’s Parents’ Background & Profession

Steve Burton is the sports director at WBZ-TV in Boston, where he has worked for decades covering major events such as Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and World Series. Before he was in the media, Steve was a quarterback at Northwestern University, where Veronica later attended. That connection gave them something to connect with, and he was able to relate as a student-athlete himself at a competitive program.

Ginni Burton also attended Northwestern, where she was an All-American swimmer, and even made it to the Olympic trials in 1984. Her background in athletics gave her insight into the demands of juggling sports and academics, and she imparted lessons in discipline and focus to her children.

The couple’s dual backgrounds in athletics gave Veronica a strong support system based both on perspective and experience. Their careers may have taken different courses, Steve in broadcasting and Ginni in family and mentorship, but the importance of sports to their lives has had a profound impact on Veronica’s path, who has been on a tear lately.

Veronica Burton’s Family Sports Connection

Athletic talent flows deep in the Burton family. Veronica’s siblings all played competitive sports, too: Brother, Austin Burton, was a quarterback at UCLA before matriculating at Purdue. Her sisters, Kendall and Kayla, both gravitated towards basketball, slowly, with Kendall playing for Villanova, while Kayla played for Lehigh University before pursuing sports media, where she now works as a reporter and host for the NBCS Boston.

The lineage doesn’t stop there, however. Veronica’s grandfather, Ron Burton, was a running back at Northwestern University, a College Football Hall of Fame player, and was the first football draft pick ever of the Boston Patriots in 1960. He played six seasons in the AFL and helped cement himself as a trailblazer for the franchise, leaving a lasting legacy that the family continues to live on.

Growing up with an environment where competition and excellence were part of daily life, Veronica naturally developed the work ethic and drive that have led her to the WNBA. Surrounded by athletes and role models in her own family, she inherited not only a love for sports but a blueprint for success.

Veronica Burton’s Relationship With Her Parents

To Burton, her parents are not only her support system, but their support has been the pillar to her youth league to the WNBA. Both Steve and Ginni had dedicated untold hours to developing the athletic aspirations of their children, and Veronica has previously admitted that both have been instrumental in her development.

Reflecting on her family’s influence, she admitted, “I wouldn’t be here, even close to here, if it weren’t for each and every one of them and every one of them and I think every person in my family kind of brings in new uh area of expertise and uh as you said my mom I think it can easily kind of get lost in there uh but My mom was a swimmer and probably the best athlete in our house…just the mental aspect of being a high-level athlete I have learned so much from her off the court as well.”

Her father, Steve, was also an equally important figure to her, taking her and her siblings up at dawn to get physical and finally inculcating in her the value of working hard, which she attributes as the main pillar to making her success. Even then, Burton goes further to state that her siblings bring her down to earth, reminding her that she has to simply enjoy the whole process but not make the sport feel like work.

Ethnicity & Nationality of Veronica Burton’s Parents

The Burton family is American citizens. Their ethnicity and family tradition have not been revealed at any place publicly, and they have kept it as a secret. What is obvious, though, is that they are well established in the American sporting tradition, having close connections to both basketball and football, with their personal and professional experience.

The fact that Veronica Burton made it to the WNBA and now the Golden State Valkyries is not accidental, but rather it is the outcome of a family that is full of sporting activities, order, and constant encouragement. Since her parents gave her the first push, through the heritage of her grandfather and her brothers and sisters, the story of Burton reveals how much her success is based on family values.