Joe Lacob owned Golden State Valkyries lead the WNBA with $500 million valuation as all teams grow by over 100%

Heading into the 2025 WNBA season, the league expanded to include a 13th team, the Golden State Valkyries. Owned by Golden State Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob, the Valkyries entered into their inaugural campaign after a busy few months.

With the team at No. 6 in the power rankings, Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen reported that the Valkyries are already the WNBA's most valuable franchise. They have a valuation of $500 million.

Behind them are the New York Liberty, who are valued at $420 million after their inaugural championship. The Indiana Fever are third, as they have flourished since the arrival of Caitlin Clark.

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Every team's valuation is up by more than 100% over the past 12 months.

This comes ahead of negotiations for the league's new collective bargaining agreement. Last season, the WNBAPA preemptively opted out of the CBA, which is set to expire at the end of the 2025 season.

If the two sides can't reach a deal before the start of the 2026 campaign, the league could have its first lockout.

Considering franchise valuations are up around the league, players may be able to negotiate a favorable deal.

Nneka Ogwumike gives optimistic update on latest CBA talks as franchise valuations, led by the Golden State Valkyries, soar

WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike gave an optimistic update on the CBA negotiations. This comes as franchise valuations continue to rise, including the league-leading Golden State Valkeries.

According to the Storm forward, negotiatons are "on track," with a face-to-face meeting scheduled for All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.

"Based on what we anticipated — perhaps maybe the players and the union — we're on track for what we wanted to do," Ogwumike said on Sunday, via the New York Post's Madeline Kenney.

"We've been in steady conversation with our union staff, our board of advisors and, of course, our player reps and executive committee. We just got the first response back about a week ago. We were informed of that."

With newfound attention around the league over the past two seasons, players are hoping to secure a larger piece of the league's revenue.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez