• Loading stock data...
Friday, May 30, 2025

WNBA’s Next Franchise Has a Name: Golden State Valkyries

  • Both the Valkyries and Warriors are owned by Joe Lacob.
  • The team will start play at Chase Center in 2025. 
Courtesy Golden State Valkyries

The WNBA’s newest team will be known as the Golden State Valkyries. 

Starting play for the 2025 season, the league’s 13th team revealed its colors and logo on Tuesday morning. The Valkyries are the WNBA’s first expansion team since the Atlanta Dream in ’08 and will play at San Francisco’s Chase Center, home to the Golden State Warriors. Both Golden State franchises are owned by Joe Lacob, and the namesake and logo show the similarities and differences between the two teams. 

The team said that its “V” logo depicts both a group of Valkyries in flight and the Bay Bridge, which connects San Francisco to Oakland, where the team will practice and where the Warriors won their first three titles of the Steph Curry era. The Warriors’ primary logo also features the Bay Bridge.

“Communities own sports teams, so it’s only fitting that as we embarked on the brand identity development process, we really listened to the fans and selected a name that they wanted,” Warriors marketing executive Amanda Chin said. “Through surveys and social media, the name that continued to come up the most, by far, was Valkyries.”

“Valkyries” are female warriors from Norse mythology. “Operation Valkyrie” was also the name of an assassination plot by German elites on Adolf Hitler during World War II, sharing the name of a movie about it starring Tom Cruise. The team’s colors are violet and black, with the team saying that the violet “symbolizes power, ambition, nobility, and women’s empowerment, much like purple has been used symbolically in modern history.” 

In the Valkyries’ logo, the bridge tower doubles as a sword. Mythology frequently depicts valkyries armed with swords, as does Tessa Thompson’s character in the Marvel universe. The logo’s bridge cables “double as wings, a strong telegraphic symbol of Valkyries.” Fans of Easter eggs in logos will enjoy the five triangles on either side of the sword, for 5-on-5 basketball, and the 13 lines from the top of the sword, marking the team’s entrance as the league’s 13th team.

With the Valkyries set to open play in 2025, the WNBA has three cities left to award expansion bids to, though one is reportedly already going to Toronto. At the WNBA draft in April, league commissioner Cathy Engelbert said she’d like to get to 16 teams “in the next few years.” Portland, Nashville, Philadelphia, and Denver are among the cities the league is reportedly talking to. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Mar 24, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Detailed view of the basketball sneakers worn by Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann (14) against the Philadelphia 76ers at Crypto.com Arena.

Skechers Sued Over Allegedly Sketchy Go-Private Deal

The footwear giant agreed to be acquired by 3G Capital for $9.4 billion.

Steve Cohen Taps USTA’s Lew Sherr to Reshape Mets Off Field

The MLB club hires a top executive from the U.S. Tennis Association.

Featured Today

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.
May 25, 2025

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
May 24, 2025

Indiana Is the Center of the Basketball Universe—Thanks to Both Pro Teams

The Fever and Pacers are thriving at the same time.
Ovi

Capitals Say Ovechkin Retirement Email Was Sent in Error

Ovechkin is the NHL’s all-time scoring leader and has one Stanley Cup. 
SGA
May 29, 2025

Thunder Poised to Dominate for Years After Winning West

OKC has the NBA’s best shot at a dynasty with the new CBA.
May 29, 2025

T-Wolves Face Roster-Building Questions After Another WCF Loss

The team has ownership stability entering this offseason.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
May 28, 2025

Mets Casino Project Moves Forward As Cohen Shakes Up Front Office

Scott Havens will depart as team president of business operations.
May 28, 2025

Terry Bradshaw Calls Steelers Pursuit of Aaron Rodgers ‘a Joke’

The Pro Football Hall of Famer lambastes the courtship of the mercurial star.
Ted Leonsis
exclusive
May 27, 2025

Where Do the Mystics Fit in a Rapidly Evolving WNBA?

The WNBA is increasingly divided between the new- and old-guard owners.
May 27, 2025

Caitlin Clark Injury Sends Fever Road Ticket Prices Plummeting

Clark has never missed a game in her WNBA career.