Warriors Star Shares Passionate Message to Valkyries Before Game 2 vs Lynx
The Golden State Valkyries will become the only first-year expansion franchise to host a playoff game on their home floor against the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday night, granted the game will be played at San Jose's SAP Center instead of the Valkyries' usual Chase Center home.
Golden State Warriors star Brandon Podziemski wrote about the Valkyries' record-breaking inaugural season that captured the hearts of the Bay Area in a Players Tribune article released ahead of Wednesday's pivotal Game 2, where he showed love to his Valkyries sisters and the passionate environment they cultivated all season.
Game 2. Tonight.
— Brandin Podziemski (@brandinpodziem2) September 17, 2025
BAY AREA you already know what to do.https://t.co/qS0v8oG6Nj
"Ballhalla is, it’s a party," Podziemski wrote. "Actually it’s like the biggest, loudest house party ever, where you’ve got 18,000 people going crazy, the music is hitting, everyone is looking great, and there’s not even any neighbors saying keep it down because they’re at the party too (with their kids lol).
"It’s this mix of cultures, backgrounds, ages, religions, races, everything. I feel like people just kind of come to Ballhalla and be themselves, and that’s that. Everyone is included. And that’s a really good energy for a basketball game."
Play In The Bay
Podziemski praised the Valkyries' depth and each individual player's willingness to put the team's collective goal over their own individual success. Podziemski even threw in a recruiting pitch at the end, encouraging talents to come on over to The Bay if they want to shine.
"I saw a quote from Temi (Fagbenle) the other day where she said (the Valkyries were a team of sixth women), and I loved it," Podziemski wrote. "It’s just reality — with expansion, you’re creating a team from the players who went unprotected. But I feel like Ohemaa (Nyanin) actually saw that as a positive, or as a challenge, and she built a roster who all had chips on their shoulders.
“Tonight is Game 2, but it’s also a lot more than that.”
— The Players’ Tribune (@PlayersTribune) September 17, 2025
A message from @brandinpodziem2 to the Bay before the first home playoff game in @valkyries history. https://t.co/mpaU0riLiV
"You’ve got these players who have something to prove to the teams that let ’em go … and also who do the little things well, the stuff that’s underappreciated but actually helps you win basketball games," he continued. "Then you add a COACH OF THE YEAR on that same wave, who’s stressing defense and toughness — and you put it all together as this land of opportunity???"
Podziemski shouted out a few other award winners in Golden State.
"Now it’s Kayla Thornton, All-Star. Veronica Burton, Most Improved. Janelle Salaün, All-Rookie. And I feel like those individual accomplishments just kind of speak to what we’re building here with this group … where it’s like: Come to the Bay if you’re trying to shut up your haters and win. (No tampering.)"
The Valkyries and Lynx are set to tip-off Game 2 from the SAP Center at 7 p.m. local time.
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Will Despart is a Las Vegas-based sportswriter who covers the WNBA for OnSI. He also writes for Ballislife and handles multiple beats for The Sporting Tribune, including the Las Vegas Aces and Las Vegas Raiders. His reporting has been featured in newspapers across the country through the Field Level Media news wire.