The Golden State Valkyries are the newest expansion team in the WNBA, set to debut in the 2025 season. The team is owned by Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, who are also the owners of the NBA's Golden State Warriors. Based in San Francisco, California, the Valkyries represent the return of professional women's basketball to the Bay Area for the first time since the Sacramento Monarchs folded in 2009.

Golden State Valkyries History

The Golden State Valkyries were officially announced as the WNBA's first expansion team since 2008 on October 5, 2023. Historically, Northern California had been represented by the Sacramento Monarchs, a franchise that played from 1997 to 2009 and won a championship in 2005. Since the Monarchs folded, the league had kept 12 teams steady, even with persistent rumors of future expansion.

Reports suggest that by late September 2023, Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, owners of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, were close to finalizing a deal to bring a WNBA team to San Francisco. Lacob has a background in women’s basketball, having co-founded the ABL and previously owned the San Jose Lasers, as per NBC Sports.

The franchise was bought for a reputed $50 million, payable over ten years, as per Yahoo Sports. The name of the team, derived from Norse mythology, conveys strength and solidarity. Its logo has a sword, wings, and the silhouette of the Bay Bridge to pay tribute to San Francisco as well as Oakland, as per their official website.

In the 2024 expansion draft, the team drafted players like Cecilia Zandalasini from the Minnesota Lynx. For front office leadership, they hired Ohemaa Nyanin as the general manager and hired Natalie Nakase as their first-ever head coach.

Golden State Valkyries owners

The Golden State Valkyries are owned by Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, owners of the NBA team the Golden State Warriors. Lacob is the majority owner, co-executive chairman, and CEO of the Warriors organization. He is also a partner at the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins.

On the other hand, Peter Guber is a renowned film producer and is chairman and chief executive officer at Mandalay Entertainment. He’s also involved in multiple sports teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, LAFC, and the esports organization aXiomatic Gaming. Guber is the owner of Team Liquid, a top-tier esports franchise.

Golden State Valkyries jersey and Logo

The Golden State Valkyries' main logo is a bold, stylized "V" that reflects both their mythological namesake and their Bay Area heritage. The outer form of the logo is a "V," representing Valkyries united in flight and victory. Within, the design includes a stylized representation of the Bay Bridge, with the middle tower of the bridge in the shape of a sword, a reference to the Valkyrie myth, and the bridge cables shaped as wings. The 13 lines from the tower honor the team as the 13th franchise in the WNBA, as per their official website.

The Valkyries' first uniforms boast their star color, Valkyrie Violet, which represents power, ambition, and female empowerment. As part of the uniform system in WNBA, the Valkyries will wear two distinct versions of their inaugural uniform: the WNBA Nike Heroine Edition, a white foundation uniform meant to represent strength, empowerment, and bravery, and the WNBA Nike Explorer Edition, a vibrant black foundation with Valkyries Violet trimmings, as per the WNBA.

The founding partners of the team, JPMorgan Chase and Kaiser Permanente, are prominently displayed on the jerseys. Kaiser Permanente, the primary jersey partner, features its logo on the belly, while Chase Freedom, the shield jersey partner, features its logo on the left shoulder, as per the Valkyries' official website.

Golden State Valkyries Home Stadium

The Valkyries play their home games at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California. This state-of-the-art arena, situated in the Mission Bay neighborhood, is also used by the Golden State Warriors and has a seating capacity of more than 18,000 fans for basketball games..

Golden State Valkyries Tickets and Broadcasting Details

Single-game tickets for the Valkyries' 2025 season are available on their official website. They also offer mini-plans, group tickets, and season tickets. Valkyries games in the 2025 season will be broadcast on CBS, aired on KPIX (channel 5) or KPIX+ (channel 44, cable 12) in the Bay Area. In Sacramento, supporters can view the games on KMAX (channel 31) or KOVR (channel 13). The games can also be live-streamed via WNBA League Pass, as per their official website.

Golden State Valkyries Coaching Staff

On October 10, 2024, Natalie Nakase was appointed as the first head coach of the Golden State Valkyries. With over 16 years of coaching experience, she previously served as the first assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces.

Supporting Nakase’s coaching staff includes Kasib Powell, Ta'Shauna "Sugar" Rodgers, and Landon Tatum. Additionally, Sidney Dobner, the Head Video Coordinator and Coach Developer, plays a vital role in reviewing game footage and assisting in the development of coaching strategies, as per their official website.

Ohemaa Nyanin, the General Manager of the Valkyries, oversees all basketball operations, including roster building and player development. Before joining the Valkyries, Nyanin was the assistant general manager of the New York Liberty.

Golden State Valkyries Famous Players

Cecilia Zandalasini

Cecilia Zandalasini is a versatile Italian forward, known for her shooting touch and adaptability on the court. She began her professional career in Italy and joined the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA in 2017.

Following a brief stint in the WNBA, she returned to Europe and played for clubs such as Fenerbahçe and Virtus Bologna. She returned to the Lynx in 2024 and led them to the WNBA Finals.

She averaged 4.6 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists that season. Later in December, the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the WNBA expansion draft.

Tiffany Hayes

Tiffany Hayes, a 5'10" guard out of UConn, was drafted by the Atlanta Dream with the 14th pick in 2012. She played there for 10 years, being an All-Star in 2017 and a 2018 First Team All-WNBA member. In 2023, she joined the Connecticut Sun, playing in and starting all 40 games while reaching 4,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. She first retired after that season, due to the toll of year-round play.

In 2024, Hayes came back with the Las Vegas Aces and averaged 9.5 points. She was named the Sixth Player of the Year. The following year, she joined the new Golden State Valkyries, reuniting with coach Natalie Nakase and former teammate Kate Martin.

Kayla Thornton

Kayla Thornton, standing at 6'1", went undrafted in 2014 but started her professional journey with the Washington Mystics. She established herself with the Dallas Wings from 2017 to 2022. She was traded to the New York Liberty in 2023, where she became a sparkplug off the bench, scoring 5.5 points and grabbing 2.6 rebounds per game in the regular season and playing a vital role in the playoffs during their championship season in 2024.

In December of 2024, Thornton was chosen by the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA expansion draft.