The WNBA features a new expansion team associated with the historic male counterpart in the NBA.
With a record of 7 NBA titles, the Golden State Warriors welcome their newest team from the Bay Area, the Golden State Valkyries.
From Blue and Gold to Black and Violet
From the blue and gold colorway for the jerseys of the Warriors, the Valkyries wish to make their own success with their black and violet jerseys.
Dubs fans for years have anticipated a new team from California considering that they already have a G-League team affiliate, Santa Cruz Warriors.
In order to promote equality and inclusivity, as well as advocating the talent and skills of female hoopers, the Golden State Valkyries have been made.
And in the 29 years of the WNBA, it will be the first time they will have a new squad fresh from the Golden Gate Bridge. The last time that the league allowed an expansion team to enter was in 2008 when the Atlanta Dream franchise made their debut.
Kayla Thornton Leads the Valkyries
Through the first 2 preseason games of the Valkyries, it’s clear that their 32 year old 6ft tall forward Kayla Thornton is their star player.
Against the Los Angeles Sparks, she had 9 points, 5 rebounds, an assist, a steal, and shot 57% from the field in 20 minutes.
Her teammate Monique Billings also had a team high of 9 points and 8 boards.
Though these efforts came up short, they lost by a point, 83-82, for their first preseason game.
Against the Phoenix Mercury, Thornton had 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals. Though she struggled in the field, it was clear that the Valkyries’ offense flowed through her.
Another player who made a positive impact off the bench was Migna Toure. From only scoring 2 points against the Sparks, versus the Mercury, she had 19 points as she drained 4 three-pointers.
These combined efforts allowed the team to get their first-ever win in the preseason, 84-79.
Just right in time before their first-ever official basketball game.
Brought Back to Reality by the L.A. Sparks
For their 1st ever official WNBA regular season game, the Los Angeles Sparks brought the Valkyries back to reality, making a statement that winning a game in this league isn’t easy.
Final Score: 84-67
Kayla Thornton, who has shown promise to be the overall #1 scorer for the black and violet, only had 6 points, 4 rebounds, a dime, a steal, with a horrendous 3-of-11 from the field.
She also didn’t even make a single shot from beyond the arc as she was 0-of-6.
Migna Toure didn’t see action in this game while Billings had a decent 7 points, 8 boards, and a block, playing off the bench.
Tiffany Haynes and Temi Fagbenle were the leading scorers of the Valkyries in the blowout loss. Haynes was all over the floor as she filled the stat sheet with 19 points, 9 rebounds, a steal, a block, and 1 assist while shooting 43% from the field.
Fagbenle, on the other hand, had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and was 6 out of 8 from the field, that’s 75%.
The Charge Continues
Despite having their debut game at their home floor end in a loss, the journey continues for these athletes.
Being the 7th team in a stacked Western conference, there’s still a lot to learn and to discover for this very young franchise. Whether or not they can win their next game against the Washington Mystics on May 22 2025 or they’ll have a losing streak…
The Valkyries just gave a whole new reason for hoop fans around the world to support a team from the Bay Area further.
