The WNBA has been gaining in popularity for several seasons now, and after a record year in 2024, the league is expanding to new cities.
San Francisco was the first city to be awarded an expansion franchise in the modern era of the W, and the Golden State Valkyries are set to take the court for their inaugural season in 2025. They'll be sharing the Chase Center with the NBA's Golden State Warriors this year, and season ticket requests have already been pouring in.
In fact, so many requests have already been made that the league's newest franchise has set a WNBA record before their first official season even began.
Golden State Valkyries make historic announcement before inaugural WNBA season
On Wednesday, the Golden State Valkyries became the first team in WNBA history to sell 10,000 season tickets in a single year, according to ESPN. The city of San Francisco has been basketball-crazed over the last decade or so due to the success of the Warriors, but nobody could have anticipated this kind of support for a new team in their first season.
"This community has shown up, and then some, to create this milestone," said Valkyries president Jess Smith. "This is something that we knew was possible and really just signifies the beginning of our journey in a way that will set a trajectory for the WNBA moving forward."
A historic announcement like this can absolutely change the trajectory of the league and encourage fans from all around the country (and next year, Canada) to invest in their women's professional sports teams. The Valkyries also announced that they took 22,000 deposits for season tickets, but they are still surfing through the list to confirm buyers.
Single-game ticket sales have not even opened yet, and the Valkyries are already one of the hottest tickets in town. They'll field exciting players like Kate Martin, Tiffany Hayes, Julie Vanloo and Temi Fagbenle in their opening season, which is sure to keep fans excited all year long.
Head coach Natalie Nakase and her team will go through some growing pains in the first few years as a young franchise, but with such a strong fan base, it could attract free agents that speed up this process.
It is an exciting time for the WNBA and their newest franchise. Let's hope every team can get this kind of support from their local fan base this season.
