Despite being an expansion team with no big-time star, the Golden State Valkyries are drawing huge, record-setting crowds to their games. The Valkyries just became the first franchise in WNBA history to sell out its first three home games and draw over 18,000 fans to the games.
Previously, Golden State also set the record for the biggest crowd in any WNBA team’s first-ever game and became the first WNBA franchise to sell 10,000 season tickets. Not even the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark managed to hit that number.
Three sold-out games in front of massive crowds only further prove the potential the Valkyries have as an expansion team.
The Valkyries’ addition to the WNBA was a huge success
With the growing popularity of the WNBA, it was the perfect time for a league expansion. The Valkyries are the first of four new teams to join the league—three other franchises will soon start playing in Toronto, Portland, and Cleveland—and they are paving the way for a successful bigger expansion. The team’s success proves that new teams can draw big crowds right away—without borrowing fans from an NBA team in the same city.
San Francisco was a great place to start the WNBA’s expansion, but a lot of the credit should also go to the Valkyries’ marketing team. Golden State’s branding—from the team name to the colors—was a massive success. The fact that people flock to the games even though the Valkyries have no prominent star and are no match for the best teams in the league proves that.
Fans in the Bay Area will be rewarded soon enough.
The Valkyries are laying the foundation for a successful future
While the Valkyries have only won two games so far this season, the team has shown what it is capable of. Natalie Nakase has her team competing defensively and never giving up, even if their opponents are clearly better.
The Valkyries also have an interesting group of young players. Veronica Burton is having a breakout season, Janelle Salaün and Carla Leite are putting the league on notice as rookies, and Kate Martin just put together a huge game. Surrounded by supportive veterans, the youngsters have the perfect opportunity to grow. Juste Jocyte will join the team next season, giving the Valkyries another young player to develop.
This season may not see the Valkyries win a lot of games, but the team will battle every game and is laying the foundation for a more successful future.