Golden State Valkyries Announced as Bay Area's New WNBA Team

by Jules Da Costa, age 16

The Bay Area is now officially part of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), with the unveiling of the Golden State Valkyries.

In October 2023, it was announced that there would be a WNBA affiliate of the Golden State Warriors (GSW), but the team name and brand identity were only recently revealed. The team will start in 2025 as the WNBA’s 13th active team. They will host games at San Francisco’s Chase Center and practice at the GSW’s previous training facility. The Valkyries will be the WNBA’s first expansion since the Atlanta Dream in 2008.

The team name originates from Norse mythology. Valkyries are a “host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering,” as defined in a press release by the WNBA. The brand represents Golden State’s interpretation of Valkyries: powerful, confident, and fearless. Their primary color is “Valkyrie Violet,” which, according to the press release, symbolizes “power, ambition, nobility, and women’s empowerment.”

The branding pays tribute to the legacy of the Warriors, but also ensures they’re creating their own unique legacy. The Valkyries president Jess Smith said, “It feels like we’ve arrived… To be able to put that stake in the ground and begin building equity, and begin bringing our community together around this, it’s a really special moment.”

The Golden State Valkyries are bringing a fresh and powerful presence to the WNBA. Being the first expansion team since 2008, the Valkyries represent a new era of women’s empowerment in professional basketball.

[Sources: ESPN; WNBA }