Happiest place on earth
I’ve been lucky enough to attend three Golden State Valkyries games this season; two from the nosebleeds (still not “cheap seats”), and last night’s playoff berth-clinching game against the Dallas Wings, from some seats lower down in Chase Center.
I’ve seen my fair share of professional sports in my life, and we are blessed with great teams and fandoms here in the Bay Area. But the big three seem to have curdled. Since they moved from Oakland, Warriors games are now full of moneyed tech bros; 49er games carry the latent encephalopathy of the NFL (and are better on TV anyway); and Giants games now feel like a nice picnic hosted by your homophobic uncle.
On the other hand, there is nothing like a Valks game.
The Bay Area (soon to be renamed the GabbbBAY Area, after star forward Gabby Williams) may have been demographically and psychographically primed for a WNBA team, but even in their second year the team already feels like an organization in their prime. Every game sells out, the stadium (aka “Balhalla”) full of people decked in violet and black, many of them sparkling. The crowd is all ages, all genders, all orientations, all colors, all family types. Everyone is smiling and friendly and happy to be there…and everyone is happy that you’re there. If it’s your first time, you can stop by an information desk and get a free “MY FIRST VALKYRIES GAME!” pin, which becomes a moment of joy for the arena’s hype woman if you make it on the jumbotron. I have never felt more joy in professional sports.
Here’s The Athletic’s Brian Hamilton in a long piece on the Valkyries from a couple of weeks ago:
When the Valkyries compete along the shore of the San Francisco Bay’s Central Basin, there is a sort of exaggerated delight that sets the mood apart. A fan brought out for pregame drum-banging is hailed as “a Founding Guard member since 2025,” which is amusing, since there’s no way to be a Founding Guard member any earlier. Upon her return to Chase Center, Los Angeles Sparks guard Kate Martin receives a pregame tribute video and a standing ovation; Martin played one season for the Valkyries before being cut in training camp this year. One guy leaves his third-row seat to dance with members of The Flock hype team during a timeout. When Kaitlyn Chen banks in a 3-pointer, it’s as if no one in the building has ever seen such a thing in their lives.
It’s funny. Maybe a little try-hard. But then some WNBA teams and fans haven’t tried enough, period.
For years, whenever I’d post a pic to Instagram or Twitter (RIP) from a San Francisco Giants game, I’d caption it “Happiest place on earth.” I still love an afternoon or evening picnic at Pac Bell AT&T Oracle Park, but Balhalla now earns that title. If you can, go. This is what professional sports should be: inclusive, fun, a little silly, a little over the top, featuring a team that plays with joy, backed by an organization that gives a shit about and reflects the community it lives in.