Ballhalla Rising: Golden State Valkyries Cool Off Phoenix Mercury to Take Home Opener

The seats were packed with purple as the Golden State Valkyries kicked off their second season in the WNBA at San Francisco’s Chase Center on Sunday.

“When I go in there, I just get goosebumps,” forward Kayla Thornton said in a postgame interview. “If I was on the other side, I would feel very intimidated.”

That home court advantage worked well for the team. Their opponents, the Phoenix Mercury, got a head start in the first quarter, but the Valkyries upped their game in the second, coming to a score of 48 to 31 at halftime.

The score got tighter going into the fourth quarter, as is typical for the team, but a strong defense helped the Valkyries finish with a 95-79 win in front of a characteristic loud and enthusiastic crowd.

As returning guard Veronica Burton put it, “We have the best home court in the WNBA.”

Last season, the Valkyries became the first WNBA team to make the playoffs in their expansion season. This year, Golden State faces high expectations to not only repeat that victory, but also take it further.

So far, the team and general manager Ohemaa Nyanin have made several controversial roster decisions, starting with a WNBA draft in April that saw a draft-day trade of eighth-overall pick Flau’jae Johnson.

Most recently, before their first game against the Seattle Storm on Friday, the team waived fan-favorite Kate Martin.

“It’s tough because you just grow to love everybody,” season-ticket-holder Rachel Dorney told KQED while waiting in line to get into the stadium. “Like last year when [Julie] Vanloo left, that was really hard. I had her jersey. But she’s still a part of the Valkyries even though she’s not on our team anymore.”

Even so, fans want to trust the process.

“It’s hard to listen to all the noise, all the people who are really upset,” Dorney said. “I think last year it worked out pretty well, so I think I trust the GM, I trust the coaches. It seems like they have a very good game plan.”

Dorney came to the game with their mom, Gail, for Mother’s Day.

“I don’t really need flowers or brunch,” Gail Dorney said. “This is kind of our thing. And we’ve always done this together.”

The game was a family affair for many in Ballhalla, as the arena is called — playing on the name of the place in Norse mythology where the Valkyries guide the souls of Warriors.

Andrea and Brian Roberts brought their two daughters.

“It’s really cool because we’re different than all the other WNBA teams because we don’t have one star player, we’re all amazing players,” said Katherine Roberts, 14.

The teen’s prediction for the Valkyries second season?

“We’re gonna win them all.”

The Valkyries host the Chicago Sky on Wednesday.