An expansion team in only their second season is four wins away from a title.
SAN FRANCISCO — It is a franchise that has made such strong strides in their short two year history. It has helped to have one of the boldest owners in sports at the helm.
On October 5, 2023, Golden State Valkyries owner Joe Lacob made a pretty bold proclamation: “First press conference with the Warriors, I said we will win a championship in the first five years, I’m telling you right now, we will win a WNBA championship in the first five years of this franchise.” Lacob said.
Well here we are two years later and Valkyries general manager, Ohemaa Nyanin, and coach, Natalie Nakase are four wins from making Joe Lacob look like a genius.
Put this in your bookmarks. @wnbagoldenstate owner Joseph Lacob vows that once play begins, they will win a championship in the first 5 years of their existence 🙌
10:27 AM · Oct 5, 2023 · 138K Views
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The Valkyries approached their roster building a little differently. When it came to the WNBA Expansion Draft, the Valkyries GM Ohemma Nyanin targeted veteran players. She made it clear, they wanted the Valkyries to be competitive right away.
Six of their 11 picks in the expansion draft had played at least three seasons in the WNBA, while two were new to the league.
Of the four veteran players that still remain on the roster, Veronica Burton and Cecilia Zandalasini are both starters. Finding starters for your future finals lineup in the EXPANSION DRAFT is exceptional work by Nyanin.
With Joe Lacob as the owner and a front office led by Nyanin that was determined to win now, it was easy to tell that the Valkyries wouldn’t accept years of losing or time in the draft lottery to wait to build a contender.
“Winning is the foundation of this organization and the Golden State WNBA team’s staff will have that same spirit,” Nyanin said when she was hired to lead the franchise in 2024. “Why not us? It will be us. To have all the high expectations, all the pressure. Give it to us in the most authentic way and we will be sure to meet you at the top.”
In their first season, the Golden State Valkyries became the first expansion franchise to make the playoffs. Nakase was named Coach of the Year, and Burton was awarded Most Improved Player of the Year.
The Valkyries made more history in their inaugural season in 2025 when they set a record for wins by an expansion team with 23.
The Valkyries went overseas for talent, something that hasn’t been common in the WNBA until recently. But, with wage increases and the growth of the global game, over 70 international players appeared in WNBA games this year and the Valkyries have seven of them. It seems they were ahead of the curve.
Janelle Salaün is a prime example. She was largely unkown as a prospect outside of France and Italy, but the Valkyries did their homework. They signed her as an undrafted free agent and since then she has made the All-Rookie Team, become the first unanimous Sixth Player of the Year this season after scoring 12.7 points off the bench and shooting 39.2% from 3-point range.
Nyanin was looking for two-way players. Players who would buy-in to what they were doing in the Bay and she got that immediately.
Golden State not only used the expansion draft to gain their veteran talent, but were active in free agency. Most notably signing Gabby Williams this offseason. Williams had spent her previous four seasons with the Seattle Storm. In college she saw championship success winning back-to-back national championships with the University of Connecticut Huskies.
Williams was high on the Valkyries’ free agent wish list this past offseason for good reason. She reached career highs in scoring (11.6 per game), assists (4.2), and steals (WNBA high of 2.3) in 2025 as she helped the Seattle Storm to the playoffs.
Gabby Williams has close Bay Area ties. Williams is from Reno, Nevada, four hours north of San Francisco. She grew up in Alameda, California which is a short drive from the Valkyries’ practice facilities.
Williams currently lives 10 minutes away from her cousins in Oakland, whom she used to visit when she was younger. She had just returned from an emotional Taco Tuesday at their home, where they discussed how far she had come, when she talked to the media on Wednesday.
This season, the Valkyries massively improved, finishing 32-12 and earning the second seed in the WNBA playoffs. One of the biggest reasons why is their home-court advantage. Shoutout to Ballhalla, the fanbase’s self-proclaimed nickname and soul of the Bay Area sports scene right now.
The Valkyries had one of the best defenses in WNBA history. Their 99.1 defensive rating was more than four points per 100 possessions better than any other team, and they finished second in both opponent true shooting (53.5%) and opponent turnover rate (19.2%).
That hard-earned home-court advantage served the Valkyries well in the postseason. They needed all five games to get through the gritty Dallas Wings including a miraculous 16 point comeback in the 2nd half of Game 5.
The Valkyries’ gritty and defensive identity was key in the three-game sweep of the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, as their defensive intensity overmatched Las Vegas. Ballhalla has cemented their reputation as one of the best fanbases in the league. The Valkyries have sold out every home game in their existence and now have home-court advantage in their first WNBA Finals appearance.
The Valkyries now face off with the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Finals. The Dream approached building their roster a different way. Five separate trades were made to acquire the five members of the Dream’s starting lineup.
Game 1 is on Saturday, and the Bay Area is ready for another championship to come home.
“I really hope we can just bring something back to the Bay,” Gabby Williams said on Wednesday. “It’s not just about basketball.”
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