The full season schedule for our new women’s pro basketball team the Golden State Valkyries was just released, with their first game in May bringing Stanford star Cameron Brink back to the Bay, and Caitlin Clark coming to the Chase Center twice.
The rumor mill was churning last year that San Francisco would get a WNBA team, and that rumor was confirmed in October 2023. Then as the 2024 WNBA season arrived and the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry powered the women’s basketball league to record TV ratings, we learned that SF’s WNBA team would be called the Golden State Valkyries, with an absolutely kick-ass logo and uniforms. Season tickets to their games at the Chase Center sold like hotcakes.
History awaits 🪽 pic.twitter.com/Naak0RPMyM
— Chase Center (@ChaseCenter) December 2, 2024
Now ESPN has the news that the Valkyries announced their 2025 season schedule on Monday (in fact, the full 2025 schedule for all WNBA teams was released Monday). And the very first Golden State Valkyries game will be Friday night, May 16 at the Chase Center, when the team’s inaugural game will be against the Los Angeles Sparks and their one-time Stanford star Cameron Brink.
Valkyries fans, mark your calendars! 🗓️
— Golden State Valkyries (@wnbagoldenstate) December 2, 2024
Our 2025 schedule is here and we can’t wait to tip off our inaugural season. Let’s take flight, together. #JointheAscent@aboutKP | 2025 Season pic.twitter.com/ICQCYNE5MV
Though as SFGate points out, many fans will just want to know when Caitlin Clark will be playing at the Chase Center. Clark and the Indiana Fever will visit the Chase Center on June 19 and August 31. If you’re more of an Angel Reese fan, the Chicago Sky have their SF game on June 27.
Breaking: Natalie Nakase has been hired as the first head coach of the WNBA's Golden State Valkyries, the team announced. pic.twitter.com/ZhCG6CkPrr
— ESPN (@espn) October 10, 2024
But your Golden State Valkyries still have no players or roster. All they have is a coach, Natalie Nakase, who was assistant head coach for the Las Vegas Aces for two of their championship seasons.
Expansion Draft presented by State Farm is just ONE WEEK AWAY! 👀
— WNBA (@WNBA) November 29, 2024
Tune-in to ESPN on Friday December 6th at 6:30pm EST to see it all go down. pic.twitter.com/m7TA5ZRlRs
Yet the Valkyries will have some players and a roster in just four days. The WNBA expansion draft for the Valkyries is this Friday, December 6, at 3:30 pm PT on ESPN (the main ESPN, not one of their little sequel networks). Each other WNBA team gets to protect six players, and the Valkyries can select any player not on those protected lists.
Expansion drafts are unlikely to yield any great, All-Star players, but there will be big names available in the WNBA Draft (sometime in April) and in free agency, which starts in February. And we’re throwing it out there that Brittany Griner is among the available free agents.
Related: It’s Official: San Francisco Is Getting a WNBA Team, Starting In 2025 [SFist]
Image: @wnbagoldenstate via Twitter
