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The long-awaited Golden State Valkyries debut has finally arrived. The WNBA's newest franchise is opening the doors to Chase Center with a preseason matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks, and the buzz around the team is electrifying.
Ahead of the Valkyries' introduction to the Bay Area, Belgian National team player Julie Vanloo and reigning WNBA Sixth Player of the Year Tiffany Hayes talked about staying focused on basketball despite the historic occasion.
Staying “locked in” was the key phrase for Golden State Valkyries’ Julie Vanloo and Tiffany Hayes on the historic debut of the WNBA’s newest franchise.
Both are excited for the team’s debut tonight. pic.twitter.com/rG2kqdJyMJ
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) May 6, 2025
“For me personally, I try to stay locked in and not think too much about [the Valkyries debut]. If you think too much about that, you might lose the purpose of this game for us as a group, I mean,” Vanloo said.
She talked about how she and Hayes' experience helps them remain concentrated on the game. “We've been through a couple of battles in our lives. We try to stay locked in and do what Coach [Natalie Nakase] wants from us. And that's the biggest purpose of today for us. But I know how special today is for the organization. We're pumped.”
Hayes added her thoughts on approaching the Valkyries' first WNBA game.
“It's definitely still special, even for us experienced players because of how big this moment is. You can't help but think about it,” Hayes said. “It's tough, but like she said, we've got to stay locked in. You'll kinda see a little bit of [nerves] when we get in the game. You'll see it, but we'll try to stay locked in.”
Expectations and building the Valkyries culture
With this historic moment for women's basketball comes expectations, even in Year 1. Everyone in the Valkyries organization knows that. Vanloo and Hayes' veteran presence will be important for Golden State in this early phase of the franchise.
In the Valkyries team-building process so far, they prioritized matching players with veteran international experience next to promising young players.
This is why a player like Monique Billings will be key for Golden State this season. The seven-year veteran forward emphasized that building the team's culture is a step-by-step process. In her post-shootaround press conference, Billings talked about her expectations for the team heading into this season.
“To be the more disciplined team, the hardest-working team, sticking to our principles,” Billings said. “We've been forming our culture and so making sure we're executing that and being good teammates to each other. It's been one week of camp. We're still figuring each other out. It's going to be a process but being patient in that process and just laying the bricks down, day by day.”
That process of building the Valkyries' culture ultimately falls on the shoulders of head coach Natalie Nakase. And according to Vanloo, she's been instrumental in setting the tone for the team this season. In the same press conference, Vanloo talked about Nakase's role in building the team's trust early on.
“She’s been very clear in it and repeats it every single day. It started with the expansion draft. She clearly said what [players] she wanted,” Vanloo said, referring to Nakase's emphasis on building a “ultra-competitive” defensive-oriented team. “She's building a team on that, and that culture is what we stand for.
“It's not just the Valkyries. It's Golden State in general, men's and women's. We just want to compete and go out and give everything we have. She pushes for that every single day. She’s a very positive coach, too, and I like that about her.”
With veteran players and an experienced coach on their side, the Valkyries look ready to embark on a landmark season in women's basketball.
