Valkyries Fans Soar to Atlanta for WNBA Playoffs
Golden State Valkyries fans are flocking to Atlanta this week to cheer on the Bay Area’s Women’s National Basketball Association team as they face off against the Dream for Games 3 and 4 in the best-of-seven playoff series. The showdown kicks off Wednesday evening.
Shivani Kumar was among the die-hard fans making the trek to Georgia. Standing in line to board a plane at San Francisco International Airport on Tuesday, Kumar was looking forward to seeing two wins in Atlanta so the team can win it all at the next home game at Chase Center.
“Valks in five. We’re winning at home!” said Kumar, who is a season ticket holder and recently traveled to see the team play in Las Vegas during the semifinals.
The Valkyries defeated the Dream in Game 1 in San Francisco. But Atlanta’s team came back for the win on Monday night during Game 2, proving they would not let their opponent get another series sweep in the playoffs. The Valkyries, only in their second season in the league, swept the Las Vegas Aces earlier this month.
The loss didn’t deter fans like Kumar from flying across the country to see the Valkyries play.
“It was tough, but I think we know exactly what we need to do to win the next two,” Kumar said.
The teams both have one victory heading into Game 3, locking in at least five games in the series, which will be played in San Francisco at Chase Center. Fans have dubbed the Bay Area home court “Ballhalla,” a play on Valhalla in Norse mythology, from which the Valkyries get their name.
Ballhalla was on the move this week, as a wave of enthusiastic fans were spending time and money to make sure their team’s signature violet is well represented at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
“Last year I solo traveled to watch the (Minnesota) Lynx play the (New York) Liberty in Minnesota, and that really opened my eyes to how special the Valkyries fan base was,” said Callista Stewart, who took a red-eye flight on Wednesday morning to catch Game 3 in Atlanta. “As much as I loved it there, it was nothing like what I had experienced at Ballhalla.”
She and other fans are arranging meetups throughout the week at local bars, parks and restaurants, where they hope to show their team pride en masse and enjoy some southern hospitality.
“My Atlanta plans are Valkyries, catfish, lemon pepper wings and collard greens,” said Stewart, who is organizing a pregame meetup on Wednesday. “I love soul food, so I will probably be finding as many spots as possible for every meal.”
Lynette Mackey flew in Wednesday morning for game three, as well. The San Francisco resident was most excited to see one of the Valkyries star players, Gabby Williams, who started playing basketball at the Mission Recreation Center in the city, where Mackey’s daughter also played.
“If we bring our game that we normally play, we will be okay,” Mackey told KQED while strolling the streets of downtown Atlanta. “We’re going to cheer inside there as loud as we can. Go Valks!”
With the playoffs happening in the middle of the work week, some fans were hoping for good luck on the court and the tarmac.
Sanya Khanna and her partner were set to fly in on Wednesday with an expected arrival time in Atlanta around 6:30 p.m. The couple had not bought tickets to Game 3 as of Tuesday, but said that if their flight landed on time, they would head straight to the arena to try to snag seats. And either way, they’ll definitely be at Game 4 on Saturday.
“I’m going to make my signs and dress up in violet, and my partner has a wig. We’re all prepared and excited for the game,” said Khanna, who is a season ticket holder. “We have been fans since day one. We’re absolutely in awe of all the players and our coach. The vibes are great.”
Shelmun Dashan was flying to Atlanta on Tuesday coincidentally for a work conference, but still arrived at SFO with Valkyries swag to show some team spirit. After landing, she found out her boss bought tickets to the games in Atlanta — a welcome surprise for the Bay Area sports fan.
“I played sports in high school, but I was always like, ‘This is just a game.’ This has helped me to recapture the joy of watching team sports and enjoying the fan experience, and I can’t imagine another team in the W has a better fan experience than the Valks,” Dashan said.
Even more Valkyries followers are expected to descend on Atlanta ahead of Game 4 on Saturday, including Karlie O’Toole, a San Francisco-based fan who is traveling with her wife.
“The reason we’re traveling is it just feels like this is really special. It’s year two, and we’re about to potentially win the WNBA championship,” O’Toole said.
Her group chats and fan threads are buzzing with plans to meet up in Atlanta this week.
“We’re figuring out a place to make signs and gather and celebrate, and just bring the Ballhalla energy to Atlanta,” she said.
Valkyries fandom has exploded since the team officially launched in 2025, becoming the most valuable team in the league after just its first season. That’s in part due to the team’s large squad of season ticket holders, including some who live far from the Bay Area and fly in for home games regularly.
Nancy Clewett is flying to Atlanta from her home in Portland, Oregon, to see the Valkyries play Game 4 this week. She has made several trips to see the team play in San Francisco and even in New York City.
Clewett moved north a few years ago, after living most of her life in the Bay Area and following women’s basketball at the college level. Once it became clear that the Bay Area would have its own WNBA team, she got on board immediately.
“The entire purpose of this trip is to see the Valkyries play the Dream,” she said, adding that she’s just excited to see some good basketball, no matter who wins the game she attends. “As a women’s basketball fan, I can’t root against Angel (Reese),” she said, referring to the Dream’s star player. “So I’m not too brokenhearted that the Valkyries lost this week, although winning it all in four games would have been nice. But I think it will be even better to win it at home in San Francisco.”
Game 5 is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 26.
Valkyries fans filling the stadium in Atlanta this week said the community they’ve built in the stands is just as magical as the wins happening on the court this season.
“We’re going to support this team no matter what, and that right now for me is supporting them on the road,” said Miles Ott, who is based in Oakland and attending Game 4 in Atlanta. “To get to be part of this community and just let my support for this team be known, and what they stand for, that’s meaningful to me.”