At Chase Center, Kate Martin addressed the crowd, encouraging the fans of the Golden State Valkyries, who responded with a thunderous ovation in the 18,000-seat stadium.
Ever since the WNBA announced 19 months ago the arrival of an expansion team to the Bay Area, the city has been buzzing. Fans were wearing the team’s apparel before any players were selected, and the franchise surpassed 15,000 season ticket deposits, becoming the first team in the history of women’s sports to achieve this before its first season.
The anticipation culminated in Tuesday’s preseason game, the franchise’s first ever match, the first basket, the first everything.
As the WNBA’s first expansion team since 2008, and with an ownership group that has shown a willingness to invest in success, the Valkyries are under the watchful eye of many in their inaugural season. Following in the footsteps of their acquisition of the Golden State Warriors in 2013, majority owner Joe Lacob proclaimed that the Valkyries would win a championship in their first five years.
That prophecy came true for the Warriors, but Lacob didn’t start from scratch with his NBA team. Historically, expansion teams in the WNBA have needed time to build success. Balancing that patience with the competitive desire to win will define Golden State’s first season.
Our motto will be: ‘Process over results’. We want to improve every day, and what does that look like?
Natalie Nakase, Valkyries coach
The struggles were evident in Tuesday’s preseason loss against the Los Angeles Sparks, where the Valkyries missed their first 13 three-pointers and committed 11 turnovers in the first half. Despite this, they rallied from a 14-point deficit to lead in the third quarter.
As they build the franchise’s foundation, General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin stated that the Valkyries will develop their identity throughout the season, emphasizing ultra-competitive players with high game intelligence.
The Valkyries have adopted the message.
We know we are part of history and we know it’s something very special. So we are going to make the most of every opportunity we have.
Kate Martin
Nakase and her team selected each roster member through the expansion draft, the college draft, and free agency, bringing in players they believed could best execute the fast-paced, defense-focused style of play the team desired. Trusted veterans, such as Kayla Thornton, Tiffany Hayes, and Monique Billings, primarily make up the roster. Although Martin is in her second season, she has proven to be a reliable role player and a fan favorite.
I was talking to close friends before the camp, and I thought, ‘I think this is going to work.’ And then, on the first day, I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is really going to work.’ It’s a credit to the players’ openness… they came in and trusted us immediately.
Natalie Nakase
Golden State does not feel overwhelming pressure.
Pressure, for me, is an invented word. We were prepared, and when you are prepared, that eliminates pressure… As long as we understand how to bounce back and recover, there is no pressure.
Natalie Nakase
The history of WNBA first-year teams is filled with defeats. Of the seven WNBA teams that have failed to reach a .150 winning percentage, three did so in their inaugural season, including the two teams that entered the league via expansion since 2000: the 2006 Chicago Sky (5-29, .147) and the 2008 Atlanta Dream (4-30, .118).
