The Golden State Valkyries: Bay Area WNBA expansion team unveils name (original) (raw)

The 13th WNBA team officially has a name. Welcome to the league, the Golden State Valkyries.

The franchise unveiled its name, logo, and color scheme on Tuesday morning on “Good Morning America,” doing so on the same day that the 2024 WNBA season is set to begin.

“Originating from Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering — flying through air and sea alike,” the franchise said in its release. “This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce.”

We are the Golden State Valkyries

Narrated by Kehlani pic.twitter.com/VGY0AAJKa5

— Golden State Valkyries (@wnbagoldenstate) May 14, 2024

Tuesday’s news is the latest in a string of announcements. Just last week, Golden State hired Ohemaa Nyanin to be the organization’s first general manager after her tenure as assistant general manager of the New York Liberty. The Valkyries previously named Jess Smith, a veteran of the sports world who was most recently head of revenue for the NWSL expansion club Angel City FC, as their president.

“The story of the Golden State Valkyries begins now,” Smith said in a team-issued statement. “And what better way than to be surrounded and supported by Bay Area legends as we take our rightful place in the WNBA and beyond. This is the Bay’s time to show what’s possible with the best fans in the world.”

The Valkyries will be playing at the Chase Center in San Francisco, the home arena for the organization’s NBA team, the Warriors. Before deciding on a name, the team sold upwards of 7,000 season tickets in an arena that can seat more than 18,000 people. It announced on Tuesday that it now has more than 7,500 deposits. The franchise has yet to hire a coach and will not begin to fill out its roster until after the 2024 WNBA season.

The WNBA approved the Bay Area franchise in October 2023, making it the league’s first expansion team since the Atlanta Dream in 2008. The Dream were the 14th WNBA franchise at the time, but the contraction of the Houston Comets and Sacramento Monarchs in subsequent years left the league with 12 clubs, a number that has held constant for 15 years.

Golden State’s design process for the name and logo began in October 2023. Among its elements, the Bay Bridge, which is depicted to reinforce the team’s presence across the Bay. The bridge tower doubles as a sword, a symbol of courage, power, and authority, according to the team. Thirteen lines come from the top of the sword, which represents becoming the 13th team. The Valkyries’ violet symbolizes “power, ambition, nobility, and women’s empowerment, much like purple has been used symbolically in modern history,” the team wrote.

Golden State won’t be the newest team for much longer, as commissioner Cathy Engelbert has expressed hope that the WNBA will expand to 16 franchises by the year 2028. A 14th team is reportedly set to debut in Toronto in 2026, though the league has yet to confirm that news. At last week’s meetings with the Associated Press Sports Editors, Engelbert said that a 15th team will be announced this year, with up to 10 cities still up for conversation for the 16th spot.

The Valkyries ownership group will pay a 50millionexpansionfeetoentertheWNBA,afive−foldincreasefromthe50 million expansion fee to enter the WNBA, a five-fold increase from the 50millionexpansionfeetoentertheWNBA,afive−foldincreasefromthe10 million buy-in for the Dream. As the league continues to become more profitable — total revenue has doubled in the past five years, and the WNBA could command a hefty sum in its new media rights deal, which would begin in 2026 — that expansion fee could potentially increase for future franchises.

The process of expansion is aided by the league’s implementation of charter travel. As the WNBA traverses more markets and potentially even establishes an international footprint, it has become imperative for the league to prioritize the safety and recovery of its players. Engelbert’s announcement that the WNBA would fund charter travel through the 2025 season — though the rollout will be uneven to start — was an important step toward the league being able to support more teams and more athletes.

— Ben Pickman contributed to this story.

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(Photo: Golden State Valkyries)

Sabreena Merchant is a women's basketball Staff Writer for The Athletic. She previously covered the WNBA and NBA for SB Nation. Sabreena is an alum of Duke University, where she wrote for the independent student newspaper, The Chronicle. She is based in Los Angeles. Follow Sabreena on Twitter @sabreenajm