Fans of the Golden State Valkyries are gearing up for a milestone event in Bay Area sports history: the Valkyries’ debut in the WNBA Finals.
The team, which is only in its second year have garnered enormous support from fans for their culture on and off the court.
Game one of their series against the Atlanta Dream will start at 12:30 p.m. Pacific in San Francisco at Chase Center. It is possible the series could run up to seven games depending on how long it takes a team to win four games.
Even before the game started, fans have been proudly wearing their Valkyries gear around the Bay Area and planning out how they’ll watch the games.
At Rikki’s, a sports bar in San Francisco’s Castro that prioritizes women’s sports, staff are preparing for what they will expect to be days of lines out the door when the finals are on. So far, the bar has been at capacity during the Valkyries post-season run, as fans look for chances to cheer on the team together.
“This moment is something I think I hoped for but did not think would happen this fast, for this team to be this good and this kind of connected to the community,” said Danielle Thoe, a co-owner and general manager at Rikki’s.
Thoe said the Valkyries have been very supportive of sports bars in their network, sending along freebies and team merch to watch parties.
“I think the Valkyries are showing that like womens sports fandom has no limit,” Thoe said, adding that the Valkyries success comes at a time when momentum around women’s sports in the Bay Area is on the rise.
The Valkyries have hit many milestones during their only two ears of existence. The team sold out every single home game they have played so far. Last year, they became the first WNBA expansion team to advance to the playoffs in their inaugural year.
The team has also built a vibrant fanbase and now have a real shot at being league champions.
“I cannot explain how much excitement I have inside and among everyone I know, the number of texts I am getting,” said Julie Dorf of Berkeley, a season ticket holder.
“This is just one more really neat thing for the Bay Area, for the city, for California,” said Tracey McNamara of Mendocino County, who is in San Francisco to attend game one of the finals on Saturday.
The Valkyries plan to have activities for fans outside Thrive City on game days. Sports bars across the Bay Area are planning watch parties for the finals as well.
