The new WNBA expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries, unveiled its name and brand logo Tuesday in a live press conference. The Valkyries are now the 13th WNBA franchise and the first team to join the league since the Atlanta Dream in 2008.
The name originates from Norse mythology. It refers to a “host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering — flying through air and sea alike,” the team said in its press release. “This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce.”
Additionally, the team’s primary color is “Valkyrie Violet,” which signifies “power, ambition, nobility, and women’s empowerment, much like purple has been used symbolically in modern history,” the team said.
Welcome to the @WNBA! 👏 https://t.co/3iAhGeazvd
— NBA (@NBA) May 14, 2024
“It feels like we’ve arrived,” Valkyries president Jess Smith told ESPN. “As much as I’ve loved saying ‘WNBA Golden State,’ that was a placeholder, and this is who we are. To be able to put that stake in the ground and begin building the brand equity and begin bringing our community together around this, it’s a really special moment.”
The branding offers a “big nod” to the legacy of the seven-time NBA champion Warriors, Smith said, but ensures “we’re also building a legacy of our own and something that is distinctively ours.”
Golden State Valkyries begin play in 2025 as the WNBA’s 13th franchise, will host games at Chase Center
Moreover, the Golden State Valkyries will begin play in the 2025 WNBA season. The organization will host home games at San Francisco’s Chase Center and practice in Oakland at the former practice facility of the Golden State Warriors, the Valkyries’ NBA affiliate.
Smith previously helped transform the NWSL’s Angel City FC into arguably the most successful commercial women’s sports brand. Angel City FC, based in Los Angeles, was founded in July 2020 and began play in 2022.
“The beautiful thing about Valkyries is that it’s plural and it’s together,” Smith added. “We need everybody — the on-court visual representation of these athletes coming together in games, but how we win together, with partners and fans and broadcast and league and everyone else by our side, is really where the real impact will be.
The Valkyries have arrived!
Merch is available NOW in-store at Warriors Shop at Thrive City pic.twitter.com/Enqi93oIKq
— Golden State Valkyries (@wnbagoldenstate) May 14, 2024
“We hope that being a Valkyrie, and for folks to kind of find their inner Valkyrie and where they’re going to be a piece of that puzzle, becomes a big piece of what makes this strong.”
The organization’s logo depicts the Bay Bridge and is shaped as a V, signifying “the unity of a group of Valkyries in flight, and standing for victory,” the release said.
Valkyries have surpassed 7,500 season-ticket deposits
Furthermore, the bridge tower in the logo doubles as a sword and the bridge cables as wings. The five triangles created by the cables on both sides of the tower symbolize five players facing off on a basketball court. The 13 lines refer to Golden State’s arrival as the WNBA’s 13th team.
“We wanted to be inclusive of that Golden State name,” Smith said. “We want to be inclusive of all women’s sports, for people to know that we are a pillar of the strength of where this is going and how we can build and bring people together.
“But most importantly, we want to build a brand that is incredibly inclusive and one that people like to be a part of because of what it means through the strength of Golden State and the Valkyries. So, we feel like every decision that we made along the way allowed us to nod to all of those audiences.”
The Valkyries have already surpassed 7,500 season-ticket sales. Last week, the franchise also introduced general manager Ohemaa Nyanin. The WNBA team will hold a Valkyries block party on Saturday at Thrive City in San Francisco to celebrate the franchise’s launch.
