Golden State Valkyries: Level Up Your Bay Area WNBA Fandom With Our Primer

The Golden State Valkyries — the WNBA’s first new team in nearly 20 years — are halfway through their inaugural season, and the Bay Area’s hunger for the team has been apparent.

So far, 11 home games at Chase Center have been sold out, with thousands of fans repping the team in its now-signature royal violet. On social media, you can see opposing players and their fans alike have remarked on the intense excitement in the arena.

The Valkyries play their next game on Friday at Chase Center. The Dallas Wings are currently the 12th best team in the WNBA, while the Valkyries are the ninth best with a 10–12 record.

For many people, a WNBA team in the Bay Area has been a long time coming. Third-generation San Franciscan Megan Doherty-Baker said her family has been following local sports history for years. Her grandfather was even a sports photographer for the San Francisco Examiner. 

“We just all grew up in my family knowing that to show love for this place was to be really connected to the teams that we loved too,” she said. “So it extends now to the Valkyries.”

For others, like this reporter, basketball knowledge goes as far as Troy Bolton’s angst in High School Musical. But the Valkyries’ arrival in the Bay makes this season the perfect opportunity to get into the rapidly growing world of the WNBA.

“I’m not a sports person. I didn’t grow up playing sports,” San Francisco resident Robin Yang said. “Then a couple of years ago, when we found out that we were getting our team here, I was like, ‘Oh, I would love to be like, on the ground floor of something like that.’”

Yang’s basketball “hyperfixation” developed quickly. She has been to six of the home games so far.

“People love to find reasons to hate on the Bay Area,” Yang said. Supporting the Valkyries has been a way for her to take a stand and say, ‘No, there are really cool things happening here.’”

Are you itching to join the Valkyries hype but not sure where to start? KQED has you covered with a comprehensive primer explaining the world of the WNBA for very, very new fans.

This is a long guide, so if you prefer you can jump straight to key questions like:

• What is the Golden State Valkyries’ schedule, and how do I get tickets?
• What should I know about my first time at Chase Center?
• What are the storylines this season?
• How do I get involved with the WNBA fandom?

What does the roster for the Valkyries look like? 

The team is made up of 12 players and coached by Natalie Nakase. You can learn more about the team and their game highlights by clicking through the panels.

As the Valkyries’ veteran player, Tiffany “Tip” Hayes is a crucial presence, explained Portland-based designer Alexandria Haigh, who is also one of the founders of women’s basketball publication Flagrant Magazine.

“For both the team and the fans, having that vet presence is really important to sort of draw the connection between the old WNBA and a new team,” Haigh said.

Other players to keep an eye on include fan favorites like Kayla Thornton, who became a first-time All-Star this season, Temi Fagbenle, Kate Martin and Kaitlyn Chen.

But all of the players have their own passionate stans. “These are like Renaissance women,” said San Francisco’s Vanessa Hutchinson-Szekely, co-host of the podcast Valkyries Say Less. “They’ve got their fashion lines, they’re authors … They’re coming with excellent stats from either their time in the WNBA or college or from overseas.”

Why does the team keep changing? 

If you have already been to a few Valkyries games, you may have noticed that the team is not the same from game to game.

For example, in the past few weeks, many Valkyries players went to play for their home country in the EuroBasket Tournament, prompting the team to temporarily sign new players. However, not every player who left is guaranteed a spot when they return. In early July, Belgian basketball player Julie Vanloo, who was part of the winning team in the European tournament, had just landed in San Francisco when she found out that the Valkyries had waived her.

“After traveling 18 hours back to the Bay, I missed the fan ceremony and the chance to share that special medal moment with my family and friends,” Vanloo, who the Los Angeles Sparks snatched up, wrote on Instagram. “Honestly, that stung. I understand it’s business, but nothing prepares you for the loneliness that comes with getting cut.”

The Golden State Valkyries have drummed up some decent amount of anger for some of their choices, including waiving another favorite, Shyanne Sellers, said Oakland and Chicago-based journalist Maya Goldberg-Safir, who writes Rough Notes.

As women’s basketball gets more popular and players get more visibility, attachment to certain people grows — and so does disappointment and sadness when they get cut.

“The WNBA is still figuring a lot of things out,” Goldberg-Safir said. “One of the things that they’re still figuring out is how to waive players in this moment, when the league is so popular and people are so invested.

“There are truly not enough spots for the number of really talented folks that are playing in the league or trying to play in the league.”

WNBA teams are allowed a maximum of 12 players, while NBA rosters typically carry 15.

“Not only is there a lot more pressure for (players) to be physically able to play every single game, but it means that you can’t essentially train a bunch of additional people that can come in and be easily slotted into the team,” Yang said.

This year, members of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association are renegotiating their collective bargaining agreement — and one of their demands is expanding team rosters, Goldberg-Safir said.

The players are also bargaining for better pay, working off the long-time disparity between women’s and men’s sports stars.

“The W is making more money than ever,” Yang said. WNBA teams increased in value by an average of 180% over the last year, with the Valkyries valued the highest at $500 million.

Do I need to understand basketball stats? 

When you go to a basketball game, you will see a flurry of numbers on large screens that can feel almost Wall Street-esque. Those are the player’s stats, and they can be quite overwhelming.

“I would say you don’t have to know too much about basketball to be able to enjoy it in person,” Haigh said. “You can kind of tell when something goes right and when something goes wrong.

“There’s a lot of details that can muddy those waters, but don’t obsess over stats and rules too much if you’re trying to just go watch and see if you enjoy it.”

Haigh said that the stats can help understand a player’s performance and their value in the WNBA, so to speak. The major stat categories to know are:

• PPG is Points Per Game: The average number of a player’s points per game.
• RPG is Rebounds Per Game: The average number of a player’s rebounds. A rebound is when a player collects a missed shot on the offensive or defensive end of the court.
• APG is Assists Per Game: The average number of assists a player makes. An assist is the last pass to a teammate that directly leads to a field goal.

Learn more about positions in basketball:

When do the Valkyries play? 

For the current season, each team will play 44 games. Here is what the schedule for upcoming Valkyries games looks like.

Home games

• Friday, July 25 at 7 p.m. Valkyries vs. Dallas Wings
• Wednesday, Aug. 6 at 7 p.m. Valkyries vs. Las Vegas Aces
• Saturday, Aug. 9 at 5:30 p.m. Valkyries vs. Los Angeles Sparks
• Monday, Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. Valkyries vs. Connecticut Sun
• Sunday, Aug. 17 at 5:30 p.m. Valkyries vs Atlanta Dream
• Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. Valkyries vs. Phoenix Mercury
• Saturday, Aug. 30 at 5:30 p.m. Valkyries vs. Washington Mystics
• Sunday, Aug. 31 at 5:30 p.m. Valkyries vs. Indiana Fever
• Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. Valkyries vs. New York Liberty
• Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. Valkyries vs. Dallas Wings
• Saturday, Sept. 6 at 5:30 p.m. Valkyries vs. Minnesota Lynx

Away games

• Sunday, July 27 at 10 a.m. Valkyries vs. Connecticut Sun in Connecticut
• Tuesday, July 29 at 4:30 p.m. Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream in Georgia
• Thursday, July 31 at 4:30 p.m. Valkyries vs. Washington Mystics in D.C.
• Friday, Aug. 1 at 4:30 p.m. Valkyries vs.Chicago Sky in Illinois
• Sunday, Aug. 3 at 3 p.m. Valkyries vs. Las Vegas Aces in Nevada
• Wednesday, Aug. 13 at 4:30 p.m. Valkyries vs. Washington Mystics in D.C.
• Friday, Aug. 15 at 4:30 p.m. Valkyries vs. Chicago Sky in Illinois
• Friday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. Valkyries vs. Phoenix Mercury in Arizona
• Sunday, Aug. 24 at 1 p.m. Valkyries vs. Dallas Wings in Texas
• Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. Valkyries vs. Seattle Storm in Washington
• Thursday, Sept. 11 at 5 p.m. Valkyries vs. Minnesota Lynx in Minnesota

How do I get tickets to home games? 

You can get tickets for home games at the Valkyries’ official website, where options include mini-plans for multiple games or season tickets. Season ticket holders become part of the “Founding Guard,” with access to perks like on-court appearances.

The most economical option is the single game tickets, which are relatively more affordable than Warriors tickets. The upcoming Dallas Wings game is pricier than the last home game against the Phoenix Mercury, however. The cheapest ticket for the Friday game against the Dallas Wings is around $125.

Some fans who have season tickets may sell individual games to other people. You may be able to find these offers on social media sites like Facebook groups. Doherty-Baker said fan groups like the Valqueeries, which she helps run, may also have a quick connection to people who are looking to sell or just generously give out.

(But be careful, and verify the person before sending any money since ticket scams have been common in recent years.)

Are there any watch parties in the Bay Area?

If you are craving the vibe of cheering fans but tickets may be out of your reach, there may be a local group or venue that is hosting a (possibly free) watch party.

• Thrive Center (the venue connected to Chase Center) often shows the game on a large screen outside the arena.
• Fan groups like the Valqueeries, which is for queer WNBA fans, often host watch parties for away games at local bars like Mother in the Mission District. You can get updates for the next event on the Valqueeries’ Instagram.
• Rikki’s in San Francisco’s Castro District is the area’s first bar dedicated to women’s sports and aims to show every Valkyries game.
• Line 51 Brewing in Oakland has two watch parties on July 25 (home game) and July 31 (away game.)
• George & Walt’s in Oakland is a woman-owned sports bar with  a watch party on July 27 at 10 a,m.
• Line 51 Brewing in Oakland has two watch parties on July 25 (home game) and July 31 (away game).
• Xingones Cantina in Oakland is hosting watch parties on July 29 at 4:30 p.m., on August 3 at 3 p.m.,  on August 22 at 7 p.m. and on September 11 at 7 p.m.

Where can I watch the Valkyries online or on TV?

The TV broadcast schedule for the Valkyries can be found on the official website. But it’s straight up confusing, because it’s not consistent and rights to stream vary from game to game.

For example, some games can sometimes be watched on KPIX+ in the Bay Area or KMAX in Sacramento. Other games may be on ION, which is a TV network and you can find what channel it is on locally on its website.

You can stream some games on Amazon Prime, Fubo or even buy a League Pass to get access to more platforms. The Athletic has a guide on some platforms to check out and how to navigate WNBA schedules.

What should I know before going to Chase Center?

Basketball games move fast. They are around two to two and a half hours long and split into quarters.

There is usually a halftime show during the Chase Center games, featuring performances by local acts. E-40 performed at the inaugural game against the Los Angeles Sparks.

You may also spot icons in women’s sports like soccer star Megan Rapinoe and see support from the Valkyries’ NBA counterparts, including Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski, who has been a regular cheerleader of the new team.

KQED has a thorough guide on what to expect when heading to a concert at Chase Center. Here are some of the highlights.

Golden State Valkyries Merch

If you arrive at the home games early enough, you may also be able to snag some complimentary merch handed out at the gates or on your seat in the stadium. For example, the first 10,000 fans to tonight’s game can get a Valkyries wrist pouch.

If you are on the hunt for merch — the Valkyries have plenty in its pop-girl purple — check out the stands at Portals 10, 21, 41, 42, 47 and 59.

There is also the Golden State Shop right outside Chase Center, which stays open late after games. Keep in mind: The line for the merch after a game will be long.

Merch can be found only online, like the very adorable Peanuts collab with the WNBA that features Peppermint Patty with the Valkyries’ logo.

The Chase Center bag policy

Backpacks (except for single-compartment drawstring bags) of any kind are prohibited from entering the arena. Any other bag you bring, including diaper bags, must be smaller than 14 by 14 by 6 inches.

Bags that do not meet the requirements can be checked at one of Chase’s two bag check locations for $10. Bag check is at the corner of 16th Street and Terry A. Francois Boulevard.

Here are some more things you cannot bring into Chase Center:

• Bottles and cans.
• Refillable water bottles or cups.
• Signs over 11 x 17 inches or attached to any pole or stick.
• Masks that cover the whole face. (Face coverings to lower your risks of catching — or spreading — COVID-19, like N95 masks, are allowed. Limited face paint is accepted.)
• Lights, tripods and professional recording equipment. Flash photography is not allowed.
• Noise-making devices, such as air horns, whistles or cowbells.
• Weapons and self-defense items of any kind, including mace, knives and tasers.
• Selfie sticks.

You can bring:

• Baby bags, plastic bottles and formula.
• Strollers that can be checked in at Portals 13 or 52 during the event.
• Umbrellas.

Parking at and near Chase Center

Chase Center has a guide to its parking garage. The venue’s website also refers fans to the third-party parking website SpotHero, where you can find cheaper parking options farther away. So if you’re driving to the arena but haven’t secured your parking yet, consider wearing comfier shoes for the walk.

Rideshare services like Lyft and Uber at Chase Center

Getting to the venue using a rideshare service will likely be pretty smooth. It’s getting out of the area after a game that is almost certainly going to be a challenge. And due to surge pricing, it will also be far more expensive to get an Uber or Lyft as you exit the venue.

There are multiple designated pickup and drop-off zones located within one block of Chase Center. Upon arrival, use one of the designated passenger loading zones (white curbs) along Terry A. Francois Boulevard for a safe curbside drop-off. As you leave the venue, rideshare apps will automatically display the best places to get picked up within a five-minute walk radius.

Public transit to Chase Center

Public transit schedules can always be subject to change. Check the timings for your route on the day of the event and be sure of your very last service home. You can also read KQED’s guide on transportation at Chase Center.

This map also gives a quick overview of the Muni, BART and Caltrain stops nearby:

Any Chase Center patron who shows their event ticket at Muni turnstiles and boarding platforms can ride Muni without charge.

Accessibility at Chase Center

Chase Center addresses questions about accessibility in its online A-to-Z Guide, which includes information about accessible parking, hearing assistance, ADA-compliant restrooms and service animals.

The venue said guests can request complimentary wheelchair escorts by visiting the kiosks located at Portal 13 or by texting 833-CC4-FANS.

To schedule an American Sign Language interpreter, guests should contact guestexperiences@warriors.com ahead of time.

Accessible parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis. You can email guestexperiences@warriors.com for more details.

Accessible drop-offs and pickups are along the curb of 16th Street and Terry A. Francois Boulevard, with accessible entry and exit from the East Entrance.

What are the storylines?

New team, new coach, new dynamics

Since this is a brand-new team, the Valkyries have never played together before, Doherty-Baker said. As a fan, it makes it all the more exciting to see how the team figures out its dynamics and relationships in real time.

“They learn so freaking quickly,” Doherty-Baker said.

@breezyhall_ why are we shaking each other hand so aggressively 😂😂😂 #fyp #foryou #breezyhall #wnba #valkyries ♬ Illegal – PinkPantheress

“The Valkyries really are kind of a headline in the 2025 WNBA season,” Goldberg-Safir said. For California basketball fans, people “expected the team to do well. I don’t think they expected the team to do so well … the vibes are truly pretty incredible … (and) there’s a number of players that are really outperforming their previous seasons.”

@laeticiaamihere #valkyries #dubbs ♬ Bunna Summa – BunnaB

Goldberg-Safir added that Nakase is “proving herself so far to be a really, really good coach.”

“I love seeing coaches who are former players, women and particularly women of color,” she said.

Who are the teams to beat?

The Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm and Indiana Fever are strong teams that are playing well this season, Goldberg-Safir said.

Many are hoping to beat the New York Liberty in particular, since last year the Liberty won their first-ever WNBA championship. But it was a controversial win due to a “highly contested foul call at the end of the game” against the Minnesota Lynx, she said.

“As Bay Area fans, this is a good moment to shut them up,” she said with a laugh.

Honoring the history of women’s basketball in the Bay

For Goldberg-Safir, “the Golden State Valkyries coming to the Bay is like this lifelong dream-come-true in a lot of ways,” and she immediately dove into the history of women’s basketball in the Bay.

She learned that the Valkyries are, in fact, not the first professional women’s team to play in San Francisco. That would be the San Francisco Pioneers, which played in the Women’s Professional Basketball League from 1979 to 1981. In fact, last week’s game honored the Pioneers, where several of the players reunited.

“Most of (the players) are still around,” said Goldberg-Safir, who has been dedicated to documenting the history of the Pioneers. “They really wanna talk about their stories and share their experiences because they really helped pave the way for pro women’s basketball and the WNBA.”

In the larger Northern California area, there were also the Sacramento Monarchs, which played from the inaugural 1997 WNBA season to 2009. (They also had fans rocking purple.)

“There’s a lot of nostalgia for that and even sadness that they ever left that area,” said Doherty-Baker, who went to the games as a kid.

What should I know about fan culture?

“WNBA fans are very, very passionate,” Haigh said. “A lot of them have been (here) since the inception years ago. They love their teams.”

Goldberg-Safir said that she sees a variety of reasons why people get into the WNBA. It can range from basketball stats, political history or even player fashion.

@brwsports 🤩 (Via @Golden State Valkyries) #wnba #womensbasketball #fashion #tunnelfits ♬ Under Pressure – bleacherreport

“There are a lot of folks who are finding fandom in the WNBA that haven’t felt welcomed or included in sports spaces before,” Goldberg-Safir said.

Fans do like to know who is dating who

Yang, the basketball fan from San Francisco, said there was a specific “inciting incident” that led to her piqued interest in the WNBA. It was a show where a comedian put together a PowerPoint of all of the ways the WNBA was better than the NBA, with the primary point being because all of the players are dating each other.

“It’s that kind of stuff that you’re like, ‘Oh, there’s stories here,” Yang said. “It’s not just, like, who’s winning.”

“I had a lot of people be like, ‘The WNBA is my reality TV,” Doherty-Baker said. “I think it is a really great way for folks (for whom) sports hasn’t been their jam to come in with an interest in the players.”

It’s more than just the NBA …

Haigh emphasized the importance of looking at the WNBA as “truly its own league” rather than an “extension of the NBA.”

One common — and sexist — criticism of the WNBA is that it’s not as fun “because they don’t dunk.”

“As a fan of both leagues, I don’t think that dunking makes the NBA miles and miles better than the W,” Haigh said. “There’s this idea that we should lower the rims in the W so they can dunk, and it’s just this weird obsession with dunking that I just frankly don’t understand.”

… and it’s more than just one player

Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever has been a major star in the women’s basketball world, but you will likely get an eye roll from a long-time fan for crediting all of the WNBA’s success to just her.

“(Clark) has done a lot, but the talent has been there. The skills, the vibes, the fans — they have been there since before Caitlin,” Haigh said.

There is also the coverage and commentary around Clark that is worth keeping in mind. A March study by Rice University analyzed thousands of tweets and found that comments about Clark, who is white, tend to be more positive when compared to comments about fellow WNBA star Angel Reese, who is Black.

“There are people who are sort of using women’s basketball as a kind of proxy to express racist agendas,” Goldberg-Safir said. “And that can oftentimes look like this emphatic support of specific white players as sort of a white savior role.”

Clark said she denounced racist comments, adding that “People should not be using my name to push those agendas. It’s disappointing. It’s not acceptable.”

WNBA fans value inclusivity

Goldberg-Safir said WNBA fans have a vested interest in social justice — a cause players have championed within the league, especially around racial justice and queer visibility.

Raina Mast, San Francisco resident and Valkyries Say Less podcast cohost, said she will see people at protests with Valkyries gear, and then hop on the Muni towards the Chase Center for the game the same day.

It “is just so telling of what the Bay Area is about,” said Mast, whose father even played in the NBA.

The WNBA has evolved since its inception, said Goldberg-Safir: “More queer, more political, more proudly Black-led.”

“A lot of our elders, queer elders, lesbians, former basketball players, people who have been in the community for a long time as coaches or family members, those are the folks that have been around and stuck around,” Goldberg-Safir said. “It’s really important to continue to include those people actively and to learn from them about their knowledge of the WNBA.”

Representation of the players and coach Naskase has been big for young people too, said Hutchinson-Szekely, Mast’s co-host – who is also a teacher at a school with a large Asian American population.

“It was really incredible to see the impact of that on the students, when we first had Kaitlyn Chen,” she said. “I had a student who came up to me and was elated about the fact that her dad bought season tickets, and she got a Kaitlyn Chen jersey … and how connected that made [the student] feel to the team and to her culture.”

Queer fandom is a major part of WNBA culture, leading to fan groups like Doherty-Baker’s Valqueeries.

“The amount of times I’ve heard from other queer fans, like ‘I just wanna make queer friends,’” she said. “You would think in the Bay it would be easier, because there’s so many of us here, but I find that that’s not really the case.

“I can be really shy. I would just encourage anyone who’s thinking about it to just say ‘hi.’”

In a moment of political, economic and strife, it “feels really good” to be a part of “something bigger than yourself,” Yang said.

“It’s really cool to be walking into Chase Center on a game day and seeing all these families, all these older queer groups of friends or couples, all these people of color,” Yang said.

“I was taking the 22 across the city into Chase Center, and I just remember watching people get on the bus and like the bus becoming more and more saturated with this color. It just felt really, really wonderful to be in that presence.”

Yang said a major part of that feeling can be attributed to the fans and the way the Valkyries were rolled out.

“It allows the fans to buy into that as well and be like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s who we are,’” Yang said. “‘We’re gonna support you, like you are the future champions that we hope you are.’”

This story was originally published on July 14.