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The WNBA’s top home ticket right now isn’t the star-studded Indiana Fever or the undefeated defending champion New York Liberty.
It’s the Golden State Valkyries, who have packed the Chase Center full with over 18,000 fans in each of their first three home games to begin their inaugural season. They became the first WNBA franchise to ever accomplish this feat.
The Valkyries currently sit atop the WNBA in average attendance. The Bay Area clearly has an appetite for women’s basketball that’s come to a boil early in the 2025 season.
“You could feel it,” said Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase after their home loss on Sunday to Minnesota. “It’s not just 18,000, it’s 18,000 that are loving us through the whole momentum of the game. Our players feel it… you love that support from the fans. They’re reacting, and sometimes they’re reactions are giving us momentum.”
These attendance numbers are even more impressive when you consider that expectations on the court for Golden State were extremely low to begin this season. The Valkyries were ranked dead last in nearly all preseason power rankings, including on WNBA.com and ESPN.
Given it’s their inaugural season, these low expectations made sense. It’s extremely difficult to construct a competitive roster through the expansion draft. Without a bonafide star, many wondered who would do the heavy lifting for this Valkyries team.
But, Golden State’s play has been a pleasant surprise so far this season. They’re 2-4, however, three of those four losses have come against the two remaining undefeated teams in the Liberty and the Lynx. The Valkyries hung around for the most part against the league’s best.
It’s been a balanced offensive attack so far for Golden State. Kayla Thornton, Janelle Salaün, and Veronica Burton are all tied for the team lead in scoring at exactly 12 PPG. No one on the roster is averaging over 30 minutes. Thornton, a 10 year veteran, has more than doubled her scoring from last season with the Liberty. Salaün, an Olympic silver medalist, has exceeded expectations so far in her rookie campaign. And Burton, who averaged just 3.1 PPG in limited minutes for Connecticut last year, has completely turned a corner in her fourth season.
Golden State has also gotten solid contributions from the bench at times, including a career-high 14-point outburst from Kate Martin in just six minutes of game time in the first half against Minnesota on Sunday.
Yes, the Valkyries are still 2-4. But, considering the tough schedule they’ve had to begin the season and the encouraging performances they’ve gotten from some unknown variables, there’s reason to believe the Valkyries have more on-court success awaiting them this season.
And with the Chase Center packed to the brim each and every night, a real home court advantage is developing for Golden State. It’s evident that the Bay Area is fully embracing their newest franchise.
