The 2025 WNBA season hasn't begun yet and the Golden State Valkyries are already setting records and making history.
Back in March the Valkyries revealed on X that the franchise has already hit a major goalpost with 10,000 season ticket holders signed up. This is a big first for the WNBA, as the Valkyries are the first team to hit that milestone ever.
The importance of having fans at games cannot be understated, especially for a new team that is still building a base and figuring out how the all work together. With this achievement, the Valkyries will be able to begin their inaugural season in a way no other WNBA team has.
Though there's plenty of chatter about how Golden State will fare this season, one thing is extremely clear: fans are ready for a WNBA team in the Bay Area, and they're planning to come out and support the team to the max.
Building culture is crucial for the Valkyries
While speaking to Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe in February, Kate Martin and Tiffany Hayes noted that something that is exciting about playing for a brand new team is they have the opportunity to build the team's culture from the ground up. As Martin put it, the team has to "set the tone right away to show what we want that to be" — and so fans can follow suit.
Don't count the Valkyries out
While it's easy to assume the Valkyries will not have a strong season this year (expansion teams have notoriously struggled at the beginning), Natalie Nakase has repeatedly said she's not really worried about that.
In an interview with Her Playbook this month, Nakase admitted that so far, the journey was been a bit of a "roller coaster ride." As she explained, she was hired just before the Expansion Draft, then immediately had to navigate free agency, and just as she's able to come up for air, it's time for the WNBA Draft. But Nakase is the type of person to identify a challenge and be inspired, something that will serve Golden State well.
Nakase added that being the new team in the league is an "advantage." She also cited the opportunity to build the kind of culture that will best serve the team and fans. Building a new team together means the Valkyries "get to hand pick players that are going to fit your culture," Nakase said. "Players are the culture... I've gotten to hand pick high-character players that work hard, players who love to play with a chip on their shoulder."