How the Valkyries are setting an off-court example for Toronto, Portland WNBA teams

Starting a new business, regardless of what it will be, is risky.

A whole new sports team? Probably one of the biggest risks.

But the WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries are off to such a phenomenal start that the words to describe what they’ve done off the court don’t seem to do it all justice.

How the WNBA got here

In October 2023, the WNBA announced there would be an expansion team to begin play in 2025 —  the first expansion team in the league since the Atlanta Dream in 2008. Despite only knowing it would have “Golden State” in its name, 2,000 season ticket deposits were placed within a few hours. In April 2024, the team hit 6,000 season ticket deposits. In May 2024, the team name — Golden State Valkyries — and logos were revealed. A successful yet quiet expansion draft for the Valkyries took place in December 2024.

In March 2025, the team announced it had sold more than 10,000 season tickets — becoming the first team in WNBA history to do so. In April 2025, the team participated in the full WNBA Draft, picking No. 17 in the second round. They won their first game at home on May 21.

The Valkyries debut season

With Natalie Nakase — a former WNBA player who was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers before winning two WNBA championships as an assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces — at their helm, they currently have a 7-6 record. They would make the postseason if the season ended today — the top eight teams make the playoffs — which is amazing compared to the Dream, who went 4-30 in their debut season.

The Valkyries lead the league with an average of 37.0 rebounds per game. They are buoyed by their defense, with the fourth-best defensive rating at 97.6. They also average 8.6 steals per game, third-best in the WNBA. They have a well-rounded roster, no superstar player needed – unless you count the rowdy crowd at Chase Center.

Also, check out any videos, photos, or social media posts from the Valkyries games. The community is obsessed, and the WNBA could not have asked for a better first expansion team in more than a decade. 18,000 fans pack out the arena for every game. They have not lost at Chase Center since June 1.

By the numbers

What’s more, beyond their so-far successful first season, is that according to Sportico, the Valkyries are worth a lot of money. They sit atop the WNBA with a valuation of $500 million. (Sportico is a sports business media publication.) The next closest team is the defending champion New York Liberty at $450 million. There are 13 teams in the league, and just four outside of the Liberty are valued at even half of the Valkyries. 

According to Sportico, the Valkyries will have an estimated $70 million in revenue in 2025. For comparison, as the league gross, the Indiana Fever had the highest revenue last year at just $33.8 million.

Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, who are also the owners of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, own the Valkyries too. They bought the Warriors for just $450 million in July 2010, who are currently valued at $9.4 billion — the most valuable team in the league, according to CNBC. They had to pay just $50 million for an expansion fee for the Valkyries to become the WNBA’s 13th team. Talk about smart investments.

Valkyries are setting an example

With the league’s growth continuing to hit record-breaking numbers after record-breaking numbers, next up are the Toronto Tempo. The team will play beginning in 2026 at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, to make them the first WNBA team outside of the U.S. and the first in Canada.

Portland is also getting a WNBA again. The Portland Fire folded in 2002 after just two seasons. With a name soon to be revealed, the team will compete in the Western Conference beginning in 2026 as well. The team will play its home games at Moda Center alongside the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers.

If the WNBA learns anything from this season, it is to have the Toronto and Portland teams attempt to emulate what Golden State has done with the Valkyries.