While the Golden State Valkyries have yet to play a game in the WNBA, they are already at the top of the league in one category: ticket sales. The expansion team announced they are the first team in the WNBA to sell 10,000 season tickets. With the first preseason home game a little over a month away and the highly anticipated Chase Center home opener against the Los Angeles Sparks coming on May 16th, it’s obvious the Bay Area is amped up for women’s hoops. In a video interview with Sportico, Valkyries president Jess Smith emphasized how the excitement of the Bay Area community helped the team reach this achievement. “This community has shown up, and then some, to create this milestone,” Smith said. The team president has been instrumental in setting up the Valkyries in the earliest stages of the franchise. Alongside general manager Ohemaa Nyanin and head coach Natalie Nakase, Smith is aiming to make the Valkyries a staple of women’s basketball. “This is something that we knew was possible and just signifies the beginning of our journey in a way that will set a trajectory for the WNBA moving forward.” But the 10,000-season ticket sales are just the tip of the iceberg. The Valkyries also revealed that the team had more than 22,000 season ticket deposits. As a result of the overflow, the team is still working to finalize the buyers. And for those who missed the Valkyries season ticket window, the Valkyries have just started group sales and will open up individual tickets in the coming weeks. The Bay is buzzing for the Valkyries A big part of the Valkyries season ticket frenzy is due to the meteoric rise of the WNBA. In 2024, the league had its highest total attendance in 22 years. A total of 2.35 million fans attended WNBA games an increase of 48% from the season prior. However, an equally important factor in the local community’s profound interest in the Valkyries is the lack of Bay Area-wide teams. With the Athletics departing Oakland for Las Vegas and the Raider football long gone, the Valkyries have a great opportunity to become one of the iconic faces of Bay Area sports. The Oakland Roots of the USL Championship professional soccer league recently sold out their home opener at the Coliseum. The Roots reported 26,575 fans in the stadium, shattering the club’s attendance record. The Bay Area community is rallying behind the teams that choose to stay in the area, and as a result– there is a genuine interest for a team like the Valkyries that goes beyond just basketball. The Valkyries will host all of their home games at Chase Center in San Francisco, which holds a maximum capacity of 18,064 seats. And based on the season ticket sales and recent Bay Area sporting events, there’s a good chance they will have a sellout crowd as early as opening night. The Valkyries’ community efforts It isn’t just about ticket sales for the Valkyries. Smith emphasized “community” in her interview with Sportico, and the team is backing that up with action. In February, the Valkyries launched their Rights, Inclusion, Strength, Empowerment (R.I.S.E.) campaign that focuses on empowering Black and Brown youth through basketball, education, and social impact. The team collaborated with the Black Joy Parade, a non-profit based in Oakland, centered around celebrating the African-American experience and the Oakland community’s contributions to Black history and culture. The Valkyries also visited the San Leandro Juvenile Detention Center, leading a variety of workshops to connect with the youth. Additionally, Golden State partnered with Kaiser Permanente to contribute $25 from every jersey sale to empower girls in sports through the Warriors Community Foundation. In an interview with CBS News, Smith emphasized the societal importance of investing in youth sports. “The societal outcomes for kids that stay in sports are high, specifically women in sports as well,” Smith said. “So we really look forward to this jersey meaning something more.” Smith and the team are off to a good start at making their “Valkyrie Violet” jerseys a staple in the Bay Area.