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The Golden State Valkyries were one of the biggest surprises of their inaugural WNBA season in 2025. Finishing the regular season with a 23-21 record, the Valkyries secured the No. 8 seed in the playoffs, becoming the first expansion team in league history to reach the postseason. However, their run came to an end after being swept by Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx.
Golden State capped its inaugural season with several major honors. Point guard Veronica Burton, who averaged 11.9 points and 6.0 assists, was named the WNBA’s Most Improved Player, while Natalie Nakase earned Coach of the Year honors. But even with the season ending a few weeks ago, the Valkyries weren’t done collecting awards.
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Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase looks on against the Phoenix MercuryEakin Howard-Imagn Images
On Thursday, the WNBA announced that Valkyries president Jess Smith has won the first-ever WNBA Business Executive Leadership Award, which recognizes “a WNBA team president, nominated by their organization, who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in driving meaningful business transformation.”
The WNBA pointed to various reasons for giving Smith the award, including:
Built a front office of more than 60 employees focused on advancing women’s sports and internal growth.
Surpassed 10,000 season-ticket holders, the first WNBA team ever to reach that milestone.
Set WNBA records for both average attendance (18,064) and total attendance (397,408), selling out all 22 home games.
Secured major founding partners such as CarMax, JPMorgan Chase, Kaiser Permanente, Sephora, and United Airlines.
Achieved merchandise sales in all 50 states and 70 countries.
Launched a community initiative with Kaiser Permanente, donating $25 per jersey sale to Bay Area youth programs.
Combined business growth with community impact and visibility for women’s sports.
“Jess Smith of the Golden State Valkyries is the recipient of the 2025 Deloitte Business Executive Leadership Award 👏,” the WNBA wrote on Instagram.
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Now, fans look forward to the 2026 WNBA season, where two new expansion teams will be introduced, including the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire.
Related: Caitlin Clark’s Agency Named in $1 Billion Report
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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