• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Get your ticket now!

Valkyries Have Stunned the WNBA: ‘Nothing Has Held Us Back’

On and off the court, Golden State has taken the WNBA by storm, averaging the league’s highest attendance while blowing out big teams.

Jun 29, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries center Temi Fagbenle (left) celebrates with guard Kaitlyn Chen (2) after scoring against the Seattle Storm during the third quarter at Chase Center
Darren Yamashita/Imagn Images
Aug 21, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Former Panthers wide receiver and now commentator Steve Smith Sr. before the game between the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens at Bank of America Stadium.
Exclusive

Steve Smith Moves His Podcast, ‘The 89 Show,’ to Blue Wire

The show is co-hosted by Smith and NFL insider James Palmer.
Read Now
September 2, 2025 |

In May, the WNBA welcomed the Golden State Valkyries, its first expansion team since 2008. The team sold out its first home game with 18,064 fans. Then it sold out its second game. And its third.

At the All-Star break, Golden State has sold out all 11 of its home games in “Ballhalla,” its lavender-tinted, Nordic-themed rebrand of the Chase Center. The San Francisco squad is driving the league’s best attendance ever, and its 18,064-fan magic number is more than a third of NBA teams’ average attendance last season. Its games are highlighted by roaring crowds, a 7–4 home record, and Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski’s rowdy courtside presence.

The franchise didn’t begin with any major star power on the court. The December expansion draft allowed teams to protect six players (compared to three or four in the PWHL), and none of the offseason’s big-name free agents signed with Golden State. Tiffany Hayes was the WNBA’s Sixth Woman of the Year, and Kayla Thornton made just 11 starts in her two years with the New York Liberty. Perhaps its best-known player was Kate Martin, formerly of Iowa fame with teammate Caitlin Clark. Sportsbooks weren’t optimistic about the team. FanDuel put the line at 8.5 total wins for the inaugural campaign, while DraftKings placed it at 15.5, last in the league on both platforms.

But the roster has taken the league by surprise. It has twice-defeated Clark’s Indiana Fever and a talented Seattle Storm team. It has close losses to championship contenders like the Liberty and Phoenix Mercury, and Thornton was selected as an All-Star. After a 9–7 start, the team has slightly stumbled in recent weeks, falling one place out of a playoff spot. Still, the team is well on its way to hitting the over for both major sportsbooks. On and off the court, no one expected it to be this good.

Well, some people did.

“Honestly, we knew that this is what it was going to be like, from Day One,” team president Jess Smith tells Front Office Sports. “Nothing has held us back. This ownership group has really given us everything we’ve needed to create this moment, and you’re seeing the response to that.”

Jul 14, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries fans acknowledge local basketball alumni during a time out against the Phoenix Mercury during the second quarter at Chase Center.
Kelley L Cox/Imagn Images

Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber paid a $50 million expansion fee in 2023 to acquire the team, for which they built a dedicated practice facility in Oakland. Smith says the owners hired 70 people on the business side dedicated to the women’s team. To run the show, they plucked people from three of the highest-regarded women’s sports franchises: Smith from Angel City Football Club, GM Ohemaa Nyanin from the Liberty, and head coach Natalie Nakase from the Las Vegas Aces. Smith says the “secret sauce” is that she, Nyanin, and Nakase were all “the talked-about No. 2s” behind the scenes for years who are “building a culture of people with that same tenacity, with that same grit.”

It’s a winning recipe for the league, which recently confirmed it will add five additional expansion teams by 2030 in Toronto, Portland, Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. The Toronto and Portland teams have ties to NBA ownership groups, while the Cleveland, Detroit, and Philly teams were awarded to existing NBA owners, similar to the Valkyries model.

“The Golden State Valkyries have set a high standard in their inaugural season, creating powerful momentum in the Bay Area and for the WNBA,” commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement to FOS. “Their leadership has provided an excellent blueprint for future expansion teams, and their impact and connection to the San Francisco Bay Area community reflects the strength and potential of the league.”

Historically, expansion teams across sports, with rare exceptions, struggle to get their footing in their first few seasons. But Golden State has burst out of the gate with success in essentially every category. It’s a testament to the growth of the WNBA but also to the Bay Area.

Jun 29, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries owner Peter Lacob (left) and Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (right) cheer during the third quarter against the Seattle Storm at Chase Center
Darren Yamashita/Imagn Images

The region has a rich history of women’s basketball. Stanford, led for decades by Hall of Famer Tara Vanderveer, is a powerhouse. Cal also made several recent trips to the NCAA tournament. The region produced the likes of Sabrina Ionescu and Chelsea Gray. The Valkyries’ Northern California predecessor, the Sacramento Monarchs, averaged 8,000 or more fans per home game in all but 4 of their 13 seasons in the WNBA, according to data from Across the Timeline.

The Bay is also a hotbed for women’s soccer. U.S. women’s national team players including Alex Morgan, Naomi Girma, and Sophia Wilson played in the Bay Area at Stanford, Cal, or high school. The NWSL last season added Bay FC, which plays in San Jose and had the league’s fourth-highest average attendance in its inaugural campaign.

The existing women’s sports fan base in the Bay Area is one key group the Valkyries lean in to, Smith says. These are fans who have wanted and waited for a top-tier women’s sports experience, so they are eager to pay for luxuries like premium and club seats, she says. A courtside seat to a Valkyries game costs thousands of dollars.

Jun 29, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries center Temi Fagbenle (center) talks with a fan after the game against the Seattle Storm at Chase Center.
Darren Yamashita/Imagn Images

But the recent explosion of women’s basketball has brought in other types of fans as well, Smith explains. One is the traditional sports fan. These people may have paid attention to the WNBA only in the past year or two, often because of Clark. The other new fan comes from the young, diverse group of 18- to 35-year-olds who might not be big basketball followers, but they are “pouring into all things women’s sports” because they “align with their personal values,” Smith says. Merchandise might be the best way to explain: The traditional sports fan will want a Valkyries polo shirt to wear on the golf course, while the young fan will buy from collaborations with lifestyle brands like Playa Society and Togethxr, Smith says. (The Valkyries were the first team with their own “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” shirt, launched last year.)

The Valkyries used data from the WNBA and the Warriors to create the three fan profiles—core women’s sports fan, traditional sports fan, and the younger, values-based audience—and they drive every business choice. “When we’re making decisions based on what our social content feels like, what type of merchandise we’re buying, what our game experience feels like, we run through all three,” Smith says.

The Valkyries want to set the expectation for expansion teams but also for the existing ones, Smith says. While several WNBA teams are playing catchup when it comes to practice and playing facilities, the Valkyries are already there. In a recent poll of 35 WNBA players by The Athletic asking which franchise was the best-run, the newcomer Valkyries were the fifth-most-popular response. In other words, “Ballhalla” isn’t just a marketing tool for fans.

“Everyone has been saying for a long time, ‘More from the W, more from the W,’” Smith says. “We are the first answer to ‘more.’”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) drops back to pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at Ohio Stadium.

On This Year’s CFB Rosters, Even Backup QBs Make Six Figures

The going rate for backup quarterbacks is in the mid-six-figures.
Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.

Bill Belichick’s Star-Studded UNC Coaching Debut Turns Ugly

Michael Jordan highlighted a long list of celebrities in attendance.

Osaka Ousts Gauff As American Presence at US Open Dwindles

Gauff’s exit shifts spotlight to Pegula, Anisimova, and Fritz at US Open.

Featured Today

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
August 23, 2025

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.

F1’s McLaren Valued at More Than $5B After Recent Stake Sale

MSP Capital purchased its stake in McLaren in 2020.
August 28, 2025

Rhyne Howard Calls Out Dream Fans for A’Ja Wilson ‘MVP’ Chants

The Las Vegas Aces overtook the Atlanta Dream in the standings.
August 29, 2025

Cowboys Can’t Bank on Mavericks’ Lottery Luck After Parsons Trade

The Mavericks lucked into Cooper Flagg through the 2025 NBA draft lottery.
Sponsored

Gareth Bale on MLS vs EPL, Retirement & Buying Cardiff City

Gareth Bale shares his post-soccer business playbook.
August 28, 2025

Connor McDavid: ‘All Options on Table’ As Historic Free Agency Looms

The Oilers superstar remains largely mum on his long-term plans.
United
August 28, 2025

Manchester United Knocked Out of Cup by Team With $2.6 Million Payroll

United’s team payroll is almost 100 times larger than Grimsby’s.
Monica Wright
August 26, 2025

WNBA Expansion Teams Still in Dark As CBA Fight Drags On

Portland and Toronto won’t know the draft rules until a CBA is signed.
August 25, 2025

Trey Hendrickson Ends Stalemate for $14 Million Bengals Raise

The defensive end will make $30 million this season.