Valkyries Dealing With Unfortunate Situation After Making WNBA History
The Golden State Valkyries' inaugural season has become one of the most inspiring seasons by a WNBA team in its history.
With their win over the Dallas Wings, the Valkyries became the first-ever WNBA expansion team to make the playoffs in its inaugural season.
Golden State also set the WNBA record for most wins in a season by an expansion team and is currently the fourth seed in the WNBA, marking a remarkable first season in the Bay.
VALKYRIES. YEAR ONE. PLAYOFFS. ✅
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 5, 2025
The @valkyries are the first expansion team in WNBA history to reach the postseason in their inaugural season.#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/zK94XY6SKV
Led by head coach Natalie Nakase, who was named Coach of the Month in June and has a strong case to win Coach of the Year in 2025, Golden State has instilled discipline and fundamentals for this season, but it has not been without a lack of support.
The Valkyries’ Attendance
The biggest headline for the Golden State has not been their winning, but the turnout at their games at Chase Center.
Coming into their first season, many questioned if fans would make the trek to San Francisco to see a brand new women’s team play when the Golden State Warriors dominate the Bay Area fandom.
The moment that sealed our historic postseason appearance. @Veronicaab22 took it herself, and the team’s reaction says it all.@Waymo | Drive of the Game pic.twitter.com/eE5PVM82Vi
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) September 5, 2025
Well, the Valkyries blew every expectation out of the water. Their average attendance of 18,064 is the highest in WNBA history, and fan and celebrity support have been a key driver in the Valkyries' sensational season.
The WNBA as a whole broke its total regular-season attendance record in late August, breaking that mark in 41 fewer games than the 2002 season, where 2,365,736 fans attended.
The Bay Area Dilemma
After a tremendous season at a packed Chase Center game after game, the Valkyries and their fans received some unfortunate news right after they clinched a playoff berth.
“Due to a previously scheduled event at Chase Center, our First Round home game will be played at SAP Center in San Jose. For event context, The Laver Cup, a prestigious international tennis tournament that has been hosted in Berlin, Vancouver, London, and Boston in recent years, was booked at Chase Center in 2023 before the Bay Area was awarded a WNBA team,” the team said in a letter sent to fans.
In an email sent to season ticket holders just moments after becoming the first expansion team to make the playoffs in their first season in WNBA history, the Valkyries say they’ll play their first round playoff game at SAP Center in San Jose.
— Alex Simon (@AlexSimonSports) September 5, 2025
Story to come at @SFGate: pic.twitter.com/hZXKA68Oqg
While it is not the end of the world for Golden State, it is undoubtedly a dampener on what was supposed to be a raucous atmosphere for the first home playoff game in Valkyries history.
With Kayla Thornton and Veronica Burton leading the way, there is no doubt that Golden State fans will still make their presence known, and now it gives the team more incentive to advance further to open up Chase Center.
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-91cb8deabb68c32205ea48f44a35d546.jpg "Farbod Esnaashari")
14-Year NBA Veteran covering multiple teams on Sports Illustrated. Throughout the years, Farbod has been featured on ESPN, Bleacher Report, Forbes, and various live television outlets.