Golden State Valkyries Overview
The Golden State Valkyries are a professional women’s basketball team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Valkyries compete in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference and began play in the 2025 WNBA season. Owned by Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, the same ownership group that controls the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, the Valkyries play their home games at Chase Center in San Francisco while their practice facility and front office are located in Oakland. The team is led on the business side by president Jess Smith and on the basketball side by general manager Ohemaa Nyanin and head coach Natalie Nakase.
The Valkyries carry team colors of violet, gold, black, and white, and their mascot is Violet the raven. As the first WNBA expansion franchise since the Atlanta Dream in 2008, the Golden State Valkyries immediately established themselves as one of the most successful launch teams in league history during their inaugural campaign. Their branding draws on Norse imagery and the regional identity of the Bay Area, with the team’s primary logo incorporating the Bay Bridge to symbolize the connection between San Francisco and Oakland.
Founding and Organizational Origins
The path to creating the Golden State Valkyries began in the years following the folding of the Sacramento Monarchs in 2009, which had been the only WNBA team based in northern California since the league’s founding in 1997. Although the WNBA held steady at 12 franchises for more than a decade, league expansion was a frequent topic of discussion. That conversation turned to action in late 2023, when reports emerged that Joe Lacob and Peter Guber were finalizing an agreement to bring a new WNBA franchise to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Lacob brought a long personal history with women’s professional basketball to the project. He had previously helped found the American Basketball League (ABL), which predated the WNBA, and owned one of its franchises, the San Jose Lasers, which was the last women’s professional basketball team based in the Bay Area before the ABL folded in 1998. On October 5, 2023, the WNBA expansion team was officially announced, with the franchise committed to beginning play in 2025. The reported expansion fee was $50 million over 10 years.
Within the first few hours after the announcement, more than 2,000 season ticket deposits were placed. The team’s leadership structure was assembled over the following months, beginning with the hiring of Jess Smith as president on January 30, 2024. Smith joined the Valkyries after serving as an executive with Angel City FC of the National Women’s Soccer League. General manager Ohemaa Nyanin was announced on May 7, 2024, taking on responsibility for building the roster through the expansion draft and the regular WNBA draft.
Growth Into WNBA Competition
To prepare for entry into the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries focused on building a strong foundation across basketball operations, business operations, and fan engagement. The franchise surpassed 6,000 season ticket deposits by April 2024, signaling strong regional interest. A WNBA expansion draft took place in early December 2024, and Golden State participated in its first WNBA draft in April 2025. On October 10, 2024, Natalie Nakase was hired as the first head coach in franchise history, and she would go on to assemble a coaching staff that included assistants Kasib Powell, Sugar Rodgers, and Landon Tatum.
The team’s official name, Golden State Valkyries, along with the team’s logos, was revealed on May 14, 2024. The primary logo was designed to reflect the team’s Bay Area home, with the Bay Bridge standing in for a winged figure whose cables double as wings and whose tower doubles as a sword. The thirteen lines in the sword represent the Valkyries as the thirteenth team in the league at the time, while the wings split the space into five triangles to represent the ten players on the court. The outer shape of the logo forms a V, representing the Valkyries of Norse mythology.
Golden State Valkyries Competitive Journey
The Golden State Valkyries’ competitive journey began in 2025 and immediately produced one of the most successful inaugural seasons of any expansion team in WNBA history. From their opening game through the playoffs, the Valkyries combined roster construction, defensive intensity, and a balanced attack to exceed expectations and establish a clear identity in the Western Conference.
Early Seasons and Development (2025)
The Golden State Valkyries made their WNBA debut on May 16, 2025, falling 84–76 to the Los Angeles Sparks. Five days later, on May 21, the team recorded its first regular season victory, edging the Washington Mystics 76–74. The Valkyries closed May with a 2–3 record, then surged through June with a 7–4 stretch that established them as a competitive force in the Western Conference. July opened with difficulties, as the team managed only one win before the All-Star break, an 80–61 victory over the Indiana Fever, finishing the first portion of the month at 1–5.
On July 25, 2025, the Valkyries announced that star forward Kayla Thornton would miss the remainder of the season due to a right knee injury suffered in practice. Despite the setback, Golden State closed July with a 3–1 run, showing the team’s ability to absorb losses and continue competing. Built from former sixth women, role players, international standouts, and young rookies, the Valkyries routinely defied expectations and rejected comparisons to past expansion teams, using early doubt as motivation.
Breakthrough in WNBA (2025)
August marked the moment the Golden State Valkyries cemented their place in WNBA history. On August 13, guard Veronica Burton became the first player in franchise history to score 30 points in a game, leading Golden State to an 88–83 victory over the Washington Mystics. Three days later, on August 16, the Valkyries set a WNBA record for most wins by an expansion team in its inaugural season, earning an 18th victory with a 90–59 triumph over the Chicago Sky, surpassing the 1998 Detroit Shock. On August 30, Golden State recorded a franchise-high 37-point win, defeating the Mystics 99–62 behind 20 points from Janelle Salaün and 19 points off the bench from Carla Leite, finishing the month with an 8–5 record.
On September 4, 2025, the Valkyries became the first expansion franchise in WNBA history to reach the playoffs in their inaugural season, defeating the Dallas Wings 84–80. Three days later, the franchise announced that it had sold out all 22 home games at Chase Center, setting league records in both total attendance, with 397,408 fans, and average attendance, with 18,604 per game, for the regular season. The Valkyries closed the regular season at 23–21, earning the eighth seed and a first-round playoff matchup against the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx.
Golden State’s historic regular season was matched by a deep individual honors list. Head coach Natalie Nakase was named the WNBA Coach of the Year with 53 of 72 votes. Veronica Burton was named the WNBA Most Improved Player after posting career highs across the board and becoming the first player in league history to increase her averages by at least five points, two rebounds, and two assists from one season to the next, and she also earned WNBA All-Defensive Second Team honors. Janelle Salaün was selected to the WNBA All-Rookie Team, president Jess Smith received the inaugural Business Executive Leadership Award, and Tiffany Hayes earned the WNBA Cares Community Assist Award. The Valkyries’ playoff run ended with a Game 1 loss of 101–72 to the Lynx and a narrow 75–74 defeat in Game 2, in which Cecilia Zandalasini missed a buzzer-beater that would have forced a deciding Game 3.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2025–Present)
The Golden State Valkyries continue to operate under the ownership of Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, with Chase Center as their home arena and Oakland as the home of their practice facility and front office. The team’s basketball leadership is anchored by head coach Natalie Nakase and general manager Ohemaa Nyanin, supported by assistants Kasib Powell, Sugar Rodgers, and Landon Tatum. President Jess Smith oversees the business side of the franchise, and the organization has prioritized a strong local presence across both San Francisco and Oakland.
On August 11, 2025, the team introduced its mascot, Violet the raven, during a halftime ceremony at Chase Center, adding a family-friendly presence to the in-arena experience. The Valkyries have built a strong broadcast footprint, with non-nationally televised games airing on KPIX-TV or KPYX, and national games distributed across ABC (KGO-TV), ESPN, ESPN2, CBS (KPIX-TV), Ion (KKPX-TV), Amazon Prime Video, NBA TV, NBC (KNTV), NBCSN, and USA. With sold-out home crowds and a foundation of young and international talent, the franchise has positioned itself for sustained growth within the Western Conference.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
The Golden State Valkyries are defined by a balanced approach built on depth, defensive effort, and perimeter shooting. Under head coach Natalie Nakase, the team has emphasized ball movement, unselfish play, and the development of role players alongside its top performers. The Valkyries have shown the ability to win in a variety of ways, from grind-out games decided in the final possessions to high-scoring blowouts, which has made them difficult to scout and even harder to defend across a long WNBA season.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
The Golden State Valkyries’ first season produced a remarkable series of milestones, including the franchise’s first WNBA win on May 21, 2025, Veronica Burton’s 30-point performance on August 13, the expansion-team record for most wins in an inaugural season set on August 16, the 37-point franchise-record win on August 30, and the first playoff appearance by an expansion team in its inaugural season secured on September 4. The team also set league records in regular season attendance, with 397,408 total fans and an 18,604 average, while selling out all 22 home games at Chase Center.
Golden State Valkyries Achievements and Results
The Golden State Valkyries have compiled a remarkable list of accomplishments in their first year of existence, highlighted by an inaugural-season playoff appearance and multiple league records. Their 23–21 record, sold-out home schedule, and widespread individual recognition have placed the franchise among the most successful expansion teams in WNBA history.
WNBA Achievements
The Golden State Valkyries set the WNBA record for most wins by an expansion team in their inaugural season, surpassing the 1998 Detroit Shock, and became the first expansion franchise in league history to reach the playoffs in their inaugural season. The team finished the 2025 regular season at 23–21, earning the eighth seed in the postseason. The Valkyries also set league records in regular season attendance, with 397,408 total fans and an 18,604 average across 22 home games at Chase Center, all of which were sold out.
Conference Achievements
Competing in the Western Conference, the Golden State Valkyries earned a top-eight overall record and secured a playoff berth during their inaugural campaign, an unusual feat for a first-year WNBA franchise. Their 23–21 regular season mark was strong enough to claim the eighth seed and a first-round series against the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. The team’s competitive presence helped strengthen the Western Conference’s standing in the league during the 2025 season.
Series Achievements
Across the 2025 WNBA regular season and playoffs, the Golden State Valkyries compiled a 23–21 regular season record and appeared in two playoff games against the Minnesota Lynx. The Valkyries set the WNBA record for most wins by an expansion team in an inaugural season and the first-ever inaugural-season playoff berth by an expansion franchise. Individually, head coach Natalie Nakase won WNBA Coach of the Year, Veronica Burton earned WNBA Most Improved Player and WNBA All-Defensive Second Team honors, Janelle Salaün was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team, Jess Smith received the inaugural Business Executive Leadership Award, and Tiffany Hayes earned the WNBA Cares Community Assist Award.
