The Golden State Valkyries are set to make their WNBA debut in May, riding the momentum of a record-breaking 2024 season that saw a dramatic rise in attendance and viewership across the league.
Last year’s regular season was the WNBA’s most watched in 24 years, with in-arena attendance reaching its highest in 22 years at an average of 9,807 fans per game.
That marked a significant jump from the 2023 average of 6,615, reflecting growing interest in women’s basketball driven by dynamic rookies and renewed league investment.
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase said the league’s rising visibility only pushes teams and players to raise their standards.
“It challenges everyone in the W to always increase their game,” Nakase told Reuters at a training session in Oakland.
“Because now with the exposure, obviously it’s just kind of human nature, it’s like, okay, now if we get a little more attention, I want to up my game.”
The Valkyries are the first WNBA expansion team since 2008 and the first of three new franchises joining the league over the next two years.
Teams based in Toronto, Canada, and Portland, Oregon, are set to debut in 2026.
The expansion reflects a broader surge in women’s sports, which generated PHP 106.2 billion (USD 1.88 billion) globally in 2023 and is projected to surpass PHP 132.7 billion (USD 2.35 billion) in 2024, according to Deloitte.
“We’re ready to kind of like, prove the world’s right in that expansion teams and investing in women, both financially and our core product, can be successful,” said Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin.
Much of the WNBA’s recent attention has been fueled by standout newcomers like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, whose long-standing on-court rivalry has captivated fans.
Clark’s Indiana Fever drew a record 20,711 fans against the Washington Mystics, one of three WNBA games in 2024 to attract more than 20,000 spectators.
“They bring a lot of attention to this league and we love it,” said Valkyries veteran guard Tiffany Hayes, who signed with the team as a free agent.
“We’ve been here putting in the work. So if they want to bring the eyes and we get here, to be here doing our thing, then it’s cool.”
The Valkyries are still finalizing their inaugural-season roster, but early arrivals Hayes, Kayla Thornton, and Veronica Burton have already started training in downtown Oakland.
Thornton, who won a WNBA title with the New York Liberty in 2024, said her focus now is helping shape the Valkyries’ identity.
“The ultimate goal is to win a championship, but most importantly, to build the culture the right way,” said Thornton.
“To get better, to find a foundation, to find something that gathers us together and to build off of that.”
The Valkyries’ debut comes amid heightened expectations for women’s basketball, as the WNBA prepares to open its regular season on May 16.
Oakland fans, and the basketball world at large, will be watching closely.
