Golden State Valkyries Advance to WNBA Finals After Sweeping Las Vegas Aces
The Golden State Valkyries are heading to the 2026 Women’s National Basketball Association Finals.
The Bay Area’s WNBA team defeated the defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces, on Friday night 87-77 in overtime, sweeping their semifinals opponent 3-0 in the best-of-five series.
Valkyries fans decked out in violet spilled out onto the sidewalk at a watch party at the Mission brewery Standard Deviant cheering after the final buzzer.
“I feel elated, just absolutely buzzed. This just means so much for the city and so much for sports,” said Becky Mincio. “We’re literally in tears because this just means so much.”
The Valkyries will play the Atlanta Dream in Game 1 of the finals next Saturday, Oct. 17 at Chase Center. It’s only the team’s second season but already the Valkyries’ second time in a WNBA playoff series since launching in 2025.
But Friday’s win in Las Vegas didn’t come easy. Fans were on edge for nearly all of the first half as the Valkyries trailed behind the Aces, who had home court advantage. The Aces led at halftime, and the teams traded the lead back and forth throughout the fourth quarter.
The Valkyries managed to claw back to a tie, sending the game into overtime.
When the team ultimately clinched the win, the Mission brewery erupted in cheers.
“In the last game, Gabby [Williams] said that she felt like Ballhalla was the sixth person on the court,” said Chelsea Locklin referring to recent comments from the team’s star forward about fans at the Chase Center. “It felt like we were still sending the same Ballhalla energy to them in Vegas.”
Ballhalla, a play on the mythological hall called Valhalla in the same Norse mythology that the Valkyries are named after, has become a source of joy and pride for the team’s fanbase. Many of the viewers at Standard Deviant said they had gone to games in person before Friday’s away game.
Fandom for the team has exploded with celebrity-studded games and sold-out matches leading up to their finals debut. Their homecourt has been packed with fans in purple shirts, winged headpieces and other homages to the team’s mythical mascot.
After their inaugural season, the Valkyries were deemed the most valuable team in the league, reaching around $850 million valuation in 2026 after a record-breaking $78 million in revenue, according to ESPN, largely fueled by the team’s thousands of season-ticket holders and sponsorship.
“I’m a season-ticket holder, been at every single game, losing my voice every single night,” said Angelina Zamatia, who came out to watch the game with friends in San Francisco on Friday night. “I’m so proud of this team. Literally a dream come true.”
Megan Gerwe came to Friday’s watch party at Standard Deviant with her moms and friends to celebrate her aunt’s birthday, even handmaking lavender party hats with the team logo for extra flair. She said the team has been especially meaningful to her family.
“There are lots of queer players on our team, which is super important and cool for my family, because we’re represented,” Gerwe said. “I’m just so glad that so many people here are into the Valkyries it’s such a special thing to be a part of, especially for women and queer women.”
Fiona Lin grew up watching NBA games with her dad and grandfather in China, and said it’s been thrilling to feel represented by players like Kaitlyn Chen. She said having a home team to root for in San Francisco has been an exciting and, at times nerve-wracking, experience.
“We went to one of the playoffs last Friday. I was so stressed the whole time. I was so nervous that my Oura ring was like, ‘you were so stressed for the last two hours and a half,’” Lin laughed, referring to a health monitoring wearable device. “But the crowd was just amazing.”
Coach Natalie Nakase, a former WNBA player and assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers, knows the playoff circuit well. In her previous role as assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces, she steered the team to two WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023.
Nakase was awarded WNBA Coach of the year after leading the Valkyries’ debut season in 2025.
That year, the Valkyries quickly gave fans something to cheer for by reaching the playoffs, making history as the first expansion team to reach a postseason in their inaugural season.
However the Valkyries 2025 playoff series fell short when the Minnesota Lynx knocked the team out in the first round. This year, the Valkyries managed to push further.
Andrew Pospeshil and other rowdy fans Friday night couldn’t be more excited for the next round.
“I’m watching every game for the finals,” he said. “This is the greatest sports environment and fandom. It’s so much fun. I feel like the team has a great chemistry. The fans are just enjoying this so much. I’m having a f— time.”