Your Primer to (More) Women’s Sports in the Bay Area: Football, Volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee, Derby and Paintball
After the euphoric high of a Golden State Valkyries championship win and a packed celebratory parade in San Francisco, it’s easy to fall into some post-WNBA blues.
But luckily, your next fix might come soon, because women’s sports are flourishing here in the Bay Area.
See the introduction of several new franchises in sports like baseball and volleyball, a flourishing women’s sports bar scene and a declaration by a New York Times writer that the Bay Area is the “No. 1 women’s sports city in the U.S.” The region’s new women’s hockey team just debuted its name Tuesday morning: the San José Sea Lions.
“We’re witnessing the crazy history right now,” said San Francisco’s Ozzy Palacio, sports reporter and managing editor of the San Francisco State University student paper Golden Gate Xpress in September. “It’s super awesome to be at the epicenter of it here in the Bay Area.”
The Valkyries’ introduction — and success — over the past two years has been the gateway into the sports world for many, according to Palacio. “It’s drawing this interest from thousands and thousands — dare I say, hundreds of thousands of people — that never felt like they were able to be interested or involved in the sports world before,” they explained. “And that’s because they never had a way to see themselves through it.”
For these newcomers, KQED has several guides on how to follow local women’s basketball and baseball, as well as hockey, soccer and rugby.
This guide is part three of our series, outlining the world of volleyball, ultimate frisbee, football and more for women and nonbinary players. While we are not able to get into all of the respective teams’ fan cultures and need-to-knows, we encourage you to use these articles as your first step into a new hyperfixation (as a fan or, in some cases, as a player).
How to support women’s football in the Bay Area
What should I know about the professional sports team?
The Golden State Storm is a women’s football team — both tackle and flag (meaning, no contact) — and part of the Women’s National Football Conference. It is a new team, having recently wrapped its first season this year.
The team’s home base is at Laney Field in Oakland, with the 2026 season running from March to May. Tickets for the 2027 season are not available just yet.
The Storm is also open to tryouts, including an upcoming date on Nov. 15.
And for those who want something extra to look forward to: flag football will be a sport in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Where do fans meet?
There are several organizations dedicated to supporting people of all genders in flag football, including:
How can I follow to learn more?
How to support women’s ultimate frisbee in the Bay Area
What should I know about the professional sports team?
The Falcons, established in 2020, are part of the Western Ultimate League and compete during the spring season from March to June.
Their games are played in Oakland at Fremont High School, and tickets are relatively inexpensive, usually between $10 and $40 apiece.
If it’s your first time at an ultimate frisbee game, you might notice there are no formal referees. That’s because the sport of ultimate frisbee is mostly self-refereed, and the uniformed people on the field, called “observers,” help players call and resolve their own fouls.
What other teams can I support?
The Falcons are good, but professional leagues aren’t actually the pinnacle of the ultimate frisbee sport. Instead, competitive club teams, which have a summer season, tend to attract the strongest competition.
Several Bay Area Falcons players also play on club teams like FURY, which is among the best women’s ultimate frisbee teams in the country.
Where do fans meet?
If you’re interested in getting started playing yourself, check out the Bay Area Disc Association. There are leagues and events for players of all levels and ages across the Bay Area.
If you just want to play casually and for free, there is pickup ultimate frisbee every Saturday around noon at Golden Gate Park’s Big Rec Ball Field near the intersection of 7th Avenue and Lincoln Way.
How can I follow to learn more?
If you’re hungry to watch more ultimate frisbee or learn about how the sport works, Ultiworld is the go-to publication that also streams the major games happening worldwide.
How to support women’s volleyball in the Bay Area
What should I know about the professional sports team?
There are two professional volleyball teams in the Bay Area — and they are debuting around the same time.
One is Major League Volleyball’s NorCal Rumble — sporting a rather cute green, orange wildflower as its symbol — which will have its opening home game on Jan. 10.
The team is slated to play 26 games for its first season, with its home venue at San José’s Tech CU Arena. Viewers can become founding season ticket holders for just a $31 deposit.
The other team is part of League One Volleyball and called the San Francisco Signal — which rock legend Joan Jett partially owns.
Its home venue will be Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, with the first home game also slated for Jan. 10. Season ticket deposits are already full. There is a waitlist available that will also provide early access to individual game tickets.
It’s a bit of a new world for professional women’s volleyball teams because both leagues are relatively new — MLV’s first season kicked off in 2024 and LOVB’s first season was in 2025.
Where do fans meet?
There are a lot of volleyball clubs and rec groups for adults in the Bay Area that range in skill levels and time commitments. Some organizations even offer beach volleyball.
Spots include:
- Volo rec groups
- San Francisco Dynasty Volleyball
- Volley Nation
- Ocean Beach Volleyball Training and Playing
- Bay Area Adult Volleyball League
- San Francisco Beach Volleyball
- Red Rock Volleyball
- Your city may also host classes and drop-in hours for adults of all levels, including San Francisco and Berkeley.
How can I follow to learn more?
- Volleyball World USA
- USA Volleyball
- 6 Zone Duo podcast
- Avid Volley
- Minute Volley (on pause, but still good for some recent commentary)
How to support women’s roller derby in the Bay Area
What should I know about the sports team?
The local derby league is Bay Area Derby, founded in 2004, which consists of four teams: The Bay Area All-Stars, BAD Bones, Oakland Outlaws and San Francisco Rolling Dead.
BAD posts its schedule on its website each year, where you can buy tickets and learn more about each team.
The league is a member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, which is the official governing body for modern roller derby all across the world.
After losing its West Oakland building and suffering from COVID-19-related financial and membership losses, the league is back skating at Richmond’s Memorial Auditorium.
If you are interested in learning how to skate and participating in the sport, BAD offers a progression program, teaching complete novices how to skate before teaching them the rules of the sport and increasing competition.
BAD is explicitly trans- and nonbinary-friendly and continues to enforce some COVID vaccination policies.
What other teams can I support?
There are roller derby leagues all across the Bay Area, including:
How can I follow to learn more?
The WFTDA has lots of information on roller derby and opportunities to watch local and international competition. BAD has a series of training videos on YouTube, as well.
How to support women’s paintball in the Bay Area
What should I know about the professional sports team?
The San Francisco Sirens are a professional women’s paintball team, as part of the Women’s National Xball League.
A paintball event usually happens every month — and you can find the schedule online for more information.
The next paintball event is a major one, from Nov. 11 to Nov. 15: the NXL World Cup, which is happening this year in Florida.
You can support the team by watching the games live on Major League Paintball’s free streaming platform. There is also a livestream on YouTube.
Where do fans meet?
Paintball enthusiasts can meet at clubs and paintball facilities, which include: