Amid Dream Season, Valkyries Face Potential Playoff Arena Conflict

The Golden State Valkyries are having a dream season for an expansion team. They have a real shot to make the playoffs in their inaugural season.

If they get there, however, they may face some logistical issues. The WNBA announced its playoff schedule Wednesday, and several days overlap with the Laver Cup, a tennis event. 

The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami was the first to note the potential arena conflict. 

The Chase Center had been scheduled to host the Laver Cup well before the Valkyries made their debut this season. The Laver Cup announced it would play its 2025 tournament at the San Francisco arena in March 2024, six months after Golden State was officially awarded a WNBA franchise. 

Laver Cup

• Sept. 18: Open practice 
• Sept. 19–21: Tournament

WNBA Playoffs

• Sept. 18–19: First round, Game 3 (if necessary)
• Sept. 21: Second round, Game 1

There is even an outside chance that the Valkyries overlap with the preseason games of the NBA’s Warriors, who have the same ownership group. The Warriors have preseason games scheduled on Oct. 3, 5, and 17, which are the same dates as Games 2, 3, and 7 of the WNBA Finals.

It’s unclear what the Valkyries would do in the event of an overlap. Kawakami indicated that Oakland Arena or the SAP Center in San Jose could be options. (The Sephora Performance Center, where the Valkyries practice, is in Oakland.)

Unlikely Issue

A closer look at the schedule shows that several dominoes need to fall for a schedule overlap to occur.

First, the Valkyries would have to qualify for the playoffs. They are the seventh seed entering Thursday’s games with a one-game lead over the ninth-place Los Angeles Sparks, but they have one of the toughest schedules remaining, according to Tankathon. The top eight teams make the postseason.

Should they qualify, the first round is a three-game series, meaning Game 3, which is the potential overlap with the Laver Cup, would only take place if the series is tied after two games. Moreover, because of the WNBA’s new 1–1–1 format for the first round, the Valkyries would need to have homecourt advantage in the first round for the Valkyries to host the final game.

With just nine games remaining, Golden State is four games back of the Phoenix Mercury for the fourth seed, which would give them homecourt advantage in the first round.

If the Valkyries pull an upset and advance to the second round, they will also need to have homecourt advantage to host Game 1—the remaining game with a Laver Cup conflict.

It’s worth noting that the WNBA’s schedule announcement indicates that games that are deemed “if necessary” are also “subject to change,” which leaves the door open to a schedule shift.

The Valkyries and the WNBA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.