Expansion Valkyries make history with WNBA opener at Chase Center

SAN FRANCISCO — Violet shirts adorned every seat with the script “First of a Lifetime.” Before long, they were filled with 18,864 fans as the Golden State Valkyries tipped off against the L.A. Sparks, and the WNBA had officially come to the Bay Area.

The attendance — and it was legitimate — was the most for a WNBA team in its home debut. The Valkyries lost 84-67, but it hardly damped the enthusiasm. They even got a standing ovation at the game’s conclusion.

“It was loud. I mean loud,” Valkries coach Natalie Nakase said. “It is everything I could have hoped for. To have that kind of crowd is just surreal.”

Said guard Julie Vanloo: “The crowd was amazing, It just goes through your veins and your whole body.”

The Valkyries were announced as the WNBA’s 13th franchise on Oct. 5, 2023 — the first expansion team in the league since the Atlanta Dream in 2008.

Season ticket sales have already exceeded 10,000, which makes the Valkyries the first to hit that milestone. They exceeded 15,000 season ticket deposits in July and are now past 20,000, an industry standard. There were 95 press credentials issued for the first game.

Fans were allowed in at 5:30, and Brie Reddick of San Bruno, adorned in her own Valkyries T-shirt, was among the first to absorb the scene and has been waiting for a Bay Area franchise since the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA folded following the 2009 season after playing two years.

Their first home exhibition game on May 6 drew 17,428 in an 83-82 loss to the Sparks.

“I was here at the first preseason game and it was emotional to see everything happening,” Reddick said. “It’s weird because it’s not that Warrior blue but it’s something that’s still ours.  We’re able to take ownership of it as fans and it’s so exciting.”

A basketball player in middle school, Reddick looked around the arena and took in the magnitude of the moment.

“I didn’t think it would get to the level it is today and to have the impact on girls, with college basketball in general and now the WNBA, it’s not something we ever expected but I’m glad to see it happen,” Reddick said.

Reddick’s aunt, Elisha Reddick, has always been a basketball fan “but I always wondered why (women) can’t have teams. That was back in the 70s.”

Jenny Quintal of San Francisco, seated with her daughters aged 13 and 10, is a season-ticket holder along with her husband and only recently got hooked on the women’s game.

“If it wasn’t for my daughters I wouldn’t be here,” Quintal said.

Astrie Martinez wearing a sequined purple Valkyries jacket, lives on the Peninsula and immediately went on the list for season tickets.

“I’m so glad this is happening now,” Martinez said. “I see so many little girls here and that’s the coolest thing.”

Richard Martinez of Daly City saw the exhibition games in which the Valkyries went 1-1 against the Phoenix Mercury and the Sparks and isn’t convinced the exhibition status will relegate the new team to the lower division.

“I like the whole spirit that the women have,” Gonzalez said. “Hopefully in the near future they can expand more. There are quality players here and they’ve got experienced players. I’m sure some of the players they cut they wanted to keep.”

Los Angeles coach Lynne Roberts starred at Enterprise High in Redding as well as Seattle Pacific before moving up the coaching ladder starting at Chico State. She was mentored by former Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer and as a Northern California native felt at home.

“I was raised on the 49ers and the Giants and the Warriors so it feels very comfortable to be back here,” Roberts said. “But what a day for women’s college basketball and this expansion team. We were here for a preseason game and the crowd was impressive. It’s a cool day for our sport and they seem to already have it kind of going here.”

Nakase could feel the intensity swelling in the Bay Area during the exhibition games and the run-up to the season.

“I mean, when we’re down by 14 they still have our backs,” Nakase said. “That’s the kind of fan base we want, someone that is going to support us when we’re down, and when we’re up, to start screaming again. They are definitely part of us.”

Nakase even got to shadow Warriors coach Steve Kerr for two days during the NBA playoffs to pick up a few pointers.

“He sat me down and before I could even ask a question had ideas and advice for a first-time head coach,” Nakase said. “What I learned from Steve was to always be yourself. His way of communicating to me, to his players, is second to none. Steve has so much experience and hopefully I’ll get just one percent of his knowledge.”

Nakase was too much in the moment to dwell on the historical significance.

“I think once I go through the full season, I think that will be history,” Nakase said.

The Valkyries are an affiliate of the Warriors, and the men’s team was well represented with Kerr, forward Kevon Looney, guards Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski and forward Jonathan Kuminga all in attendance and drawing big cheers from the crowd when shown on the scoreboard.

Podziemski even fired T-shirts in the crowd with the Valkyries support staff.

Vanloo even gained inspiration from Kerr before a sequence where she nailed three of our four 3-point shots to bring the Valkyries within four points.

“It was an awesome moment,” Vanloo said. “Right before, I saw Steve Kerr and I don’t know, I kind of got hyped, like, `Let me show you something.”

The Valkyies rightly pointed to their 22 turnovers as a problem worth fixing, but were encouraged by their fight and of course the atmosphere.

“This is the Bay Area,” Vanloo said. “This is Chase Center. Magic happens here.”