Golden State Valkyries Begin Inaugural Season in WNBA Tonight

Kaitlyn Chen has had a busy spring.

Just weeks after she hoisted the NCAA women’s basketball championship trophy with her University of Connecticut teammates, the point guard, originally from Southern California, was drafted by the WNBA’s newest team, the Golden State Valkyries.

“It’s been hectic,” Chen told KQED during preseason training camp in Oakland to determine the team’s final 12-player roster ahead of the May 16 home opener at Chase Center. “The best part is how much everyone cares and everyone really wants you to succeed.”

If she makes the team, Chen’s first game with the Valkyries will be against the Los Angeles Sparks — a team she grew up watching play at Crypto.com Arena, formerly Staples Center.

“It’s definitely a surreal experience,” she said, smiling.

It’s been about a year since the Golden State Valkyries were officially named a WNBA franchise in the league’s first expansion in 17 years.

“It’s a huge deal,” said Dr. Bonnie Morris, professor of women’s history at UC Berkeley and author of the book What’s the Score? 25 Years of Teaching Women’s Sports History.

According to Morris, the expansion of the league increases opportunities for women to make a living from the professional sports industry — not just as athletes, but in support roles that range from media to officiating to management.

“We have more women playing sports than ever before, but we haven’t seen the same revolution in terms of staffing,” Morris said.

Women make up much of the Valkyries’ senior leadership, including the president, vice presidents, general manager, director of player development, director of performance, head athletic trainer and head coach.

“We get to write our own story,” head coach Natalie Nakase said during a press event on May 1. “I think that’s one of the coolest things. But I’m also telling our players to just be present. Just be where your feet are.”

Eighteen players were invited to the 19-day training camp at the Sephora Performance Center in downtown Oakland. Many players have played with or against each other in college, the WNBA and international leagues.

“We all have been in each other’s spheres in one way or the other throughout the years. So the communication and the chemistry came a bit more easily because of that,” said Temi Fágbénlé, a center who was one of the Valkyries’ nine expansion draft selections.

Fágbénlé, who most recently played for the Indiana Fever, won a WNBA championship with the Minnesota Lynx in 2017 and represented Great Britain in women’s basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Other WNBA competitors-turned-teammates include guard Kate Martin, formerly with the Las Vegas Aces; forward Monique Billings, who previously played for the Phoenix Mercury; and forward Kayla Thornton, who played for the New York Liberty last season.

When it comes to creating chemistry between veterans and rookies like Chen, Nakase said she’s trying to foster a team philosophy that’s “competitive and connected.”

This means running practices where players aren’t afraid to push and shove, but also making sure players are feeling healthy both mentally and physically, she said.

“I’m big on just having them have a free mind. So whatever that takes — whether I have to adjust to more shooting, to less shooting, to more defense — I’m very flexible. Health is important,” Nakase added. “Once we step on that floor, I want Chase Center and all our fans to feel that.”

Jessie Lin, a lifelong basketball player and UC Berkeley student, said her family already has tickets to two Valkyries games.

“I think a lot of young girls are going to be like, ‘This is doable,’” said Lin, who, as an Asian American, is particularly inspired by the drafting of Chen, whose parents are Taiwanese immigrants. “This is the profession I can pursue. And I’m so excited for the visibility.”

Despite all the excitement, Morris acknowledged that a “social lag” in the United States persists when considering professional women’s sports “high level.”

“The question is now: Can women, fans and investors make the difference for professional women’s leagues?” she said. “I hope so.”