The Golden State Valkyries might not have won their first-ever preseason game against the Los Angeles Sparks Tuesday night, but the team did rack up yet another monumental knotch, especially for a brand-new squad: the third-highest preseason game attendance in WNBA history.
That's right: Bay Area fans of the Valkyries made it a point to show up for the team's inaugural game to the tune of 17,428 fans in attendance at Chase Stadium — more than any preseason game so far. In just about every way, the Valkyries could not have asked for a better atmosphere for the team's first game, even if they fell short by one point.
The Valkyries might have lost 83-82, but the team's ability to rally and cut a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter had fans literally on their feet throughout the end of the game. That combined with exciting performances from rookie Kaitlyn Chen, who had a thrilling exchange with teammate Julie Vanloo, as well as from Laeticia Amihere, who closed out the night with a buzzer beater that brought the team within one point of the Sparks.
What's next for the Golden State Valkyries
The Valkyries have one more preseason game before the WNBA regular season begins. The team will face off against the Phoenix Mercury on May 11, a matchup that should be dynamic and aggressive — exactly the style of basketball that Coach Natalie Nakase has said the team wants to play.
The Mercury lost by one point to the Las Vegas Aces during their own preseason debut Tuesday. The team is experimenting with postionless basketball this season, a departure from previous years. This is also the first season the Mercury will play without Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner in several years, and the impact of those departures remains to be seen.
Both the Valkyries and the Mercury made mistakes Tuesday night. The Mercury gave up 20 turnovers to the Aces' 10, and the Valkyries weren't alway communicating with one another to the best of their abilities. The Valkyries also struggled to hits 3s, something of a surprise given the team's oft-stated goal of making those big shots happen.
As the Valkyries have shown time and time again that counting out the brand new team just because they're new is a mistake — the team is here to play and are taking their role as the newest team in the league seriously, and it sounds like fans are doing the same.