WNBA fans had been waiting for an expansion team for quite some time now. The last time a new team joined the WNBA was in 2008 when the Atlanta Dream kicked off their inaugural season.
The wait is finally over, and the Golden State Valkyries will take the court for the first time in 2025. The Valkyries’ brand, colors, logo, and team name have already enjoyed their fair share of success among WNBA fans, and many people expect big things from a franchise related to the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.
The Valkyries already sold a record-setting amount of season tickets before a single player even stepped on the court in a Valkyries uniform. Still, the team will have to convince fans to continue to show up and root for them. There are a few things they can do to immediately impress fans.
3. Play good, fun basketball
This one is probably obvious, but being an expansion team is not easy. It usually comes with some struggles, as teams have to figure out their identity and style of play first and usually do not feature much star power to begin with. It’s no different for the Valkyries. They landed several valuable players in the expansion draft but do not have a star or face of the franchise yet.
What they do have, however, is a collection of players who can play good basketball. Pretty much everyone on the roster can defend and shoot threes, allowing the Valkyries to play a modern style of basketball that fans tend to enjoy.
There is a reason the Valkyries focused on landing solid veterans rather than a lot of young talent in the expansion draft. It allows them to set the foundation for when they can bring a young star to the Bay Area and build around them. In the meantime, the Valkyries will play solid basketball in their inaugural season, maybe even building up the trade value of several veterans on the roster.
2. Prove that they are serious about building a contender soon
The Valkyries have not played a single WNBA game yet, but owner Joe Lacob already confidently declared that he believes the franchise can win a title within the next five years. It will take a lot of work to get there, and the 2025 season will be the first step in the right direction, the foundation for the Valkyries’ future success.
The Valkyries do not necessarily have to make the playoffs right away—tanking would actually be the best way to land a young star in the WNBA Draft—but they must prove to the fans in the Bay Area that they are serious about that goal. After all, every fan wants to see their team win it all eventually.
Golden State can do that in several ways. They can show that they are serious about the development of young players like Kate Martin and Carla Leite, who could be key players for the franchise for years to come, build up the trade value of veterans like Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini or see if any of them can break out in a bigger role, and explore the free agency and trade markets.
Part of proving that the Valkyries are serious about contending soon is also implementing a strong system and style of play. While not all players currently on the roster will stay with the Valkyries forever, this is a chance for the Valkyries to establish how they want to play and show others what will be expected of players in the Bay Area.
1. Land a star
Every sports fan loves to watch stars play. Bringing in a big name would certainly be one way to get fans excited about women’s basketball in the Bay Area. When WNBA free agency officially starts in February, several big names may be available.
Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, Nneka Ogwumike, Kelsey Plum, and Satou Sabally, for example, are all set to enter unrestricted free agency. If the Valkyries wanted to, they could try to convince any of them to come to San Francisco ahead of the 2025 season. Someone like Plum, for example, could quickly become a franchise player on an expansion team. Otherwise, the Valkyries could also explore the trade market and see which stars are available outside of free agency.
Landing a star right away would not only draw eyes to the Valkyries’ games but also show fans that the organization is not afraid to spend money on valuable players and winning basketball. It would also help to establish Golden State as a popular free agency destination.