The WNBA has never been more popular. Women’s basketball has exploded in popularity in 2024 and the WNBA has been one of the biggest beneficiaries. The W is adding a new team in the Bay Area in 2025 and fans are already buying season tickets at record numbers.
The Golden State Valkyries have passed a huge landmark in terms of season ticket sales. Golden State has season ticket deposits on 17,000 seats at the Chase Center, according to the team’s social media.
This makes the Valkyries the first team in women’s sports history to secure more than 15,000 season ticket deposits. The Valkyries will likely have a strong home court advantage when they join the WNBA in the 2025 season.
The Valkyries are making a lot of buzz as we inch closer to the team joining the W.
Golden State recently announced that construction is underway on the team’s locker room and practice facilities.
The Valkyries will practice in Oakland, California and play their games at the Chase Center in San Francisco. They released concept art of their practice facilities and locker room, which should be completed ahead of the 2025 WNBA season.
There are still plenty of exciting milestones for Valkyries fans to look forward to before next season. The team has yet to announce a head coach and will need to fill their roster through an expansion draft and the 2025 WNBA Draft. Golden State will pick at fifth overall in that draft, which should allow them to add a talented rookie who they can build a squad around.
WNBA plans to expand to 16 teams by 2028
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has big plans for the W.
The league has exploded in popularity this year, due in large part to a special rookie class that features superstars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Now the WNBA has plans to expand the league into new markets by adding new teams.
The WNBA plans to add four new teams to the league, expanding to 16 teams by the year 2028. This would be huge growing the presence of women’s basketball and could bring in more revenue for the WNBA in both the short and long term.
The Golden State Valkyries are the first of these expansion teams. They will be followed by a Toronto team in 2026 and two more teams that are yet to be determined. However, Portland, Oregon is reportedly in the mix to be one of those teams.
It has been great to see women’s basketball emerge as a popular national sport in 2024. Let’s hope that this trend continues through 2028 and beyond.
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