The Golden State Valkyries are the gold standard for all the expansion teams. The debut season of the WNBA’s newest franchise has been a roaring success, with the team fighting for a playoff spot and having the highest average attendance in the league. Cathy Engelbert, the WNBA Commissioner, echoed a similar sentiment in her statement to FOS: “The Golden State Valkyries have set a high standard in their inaugural season, creating powerful momentum in the Bay Area and for the WNBA.” Even some of the Warriors’ stars have been vocal with their support for their sister-team. None more than Brandin Podziemski.

The Warriors guard is a super fan of the Valkyries. The 2023 draft pick has been a common feature on the court-side for the majority of Valkyries’ home games, in the new “Ballhalla,” lavender-tinted, Nordic-themed rebrand of the Chase Center. And Podz is loving the atmosphere and the energy fans bring in. “Nah, it’s electric. It’s definitely something that I love being a part of. The noise in there is a different type of noise than what we have with our games. It almost feels louder most of the time… So just to see the support that the Valkyries are getting in year one is really impressive.”

Now, Podz has decided to take his fandom to the next level. Willard and Dibs on 95.7 The Game, a sports radio station licensed to San Francisco, California, announced that Podziemski will be joining the radio station as a special correspondent. “First of which is our brand spanking shiny new weekly Valkyries superfan correspondent. This person is tapped in to the fandom of the Valkyries like no other. We hope that you’ve heard of him. He goes by the name Brandin Podziemski, Valkyries superfan and correspondent joining us here on Willard and Dibs.”

The Santa Clara alum has spent a major portion of his summer at the Chase Center, yelling at the refs, cheering every point, and even trash-talking about the opponent. And the Warriors star isn’t shying away from his superfan image.

Brandin Podziemski acknowledges the new supporters of the Golden State Valkyrie

“All I gotta do is just see a bucket going and and I’ll be right to it.” Brandin Podziemski answered what keeps him going from the front row seats. The celebration of the Valkyries has been a focus from the beginning of the WNBA season. They had Lilac shirts that read “First of a Lifetime” were laid across each of the arena’s 18,064 seats—all occupied. And if you think it’s just the Warriors fans converting, then you are wrong. As per the report from the Ringer, “Ninety-five percent of the Valkyries’ season ticket holders are new sign-ups—meaning they’re not carryovers from the Warriors.”

Even Podz acknowledged the difference, talking on the Willard and Dibs show. “Obviously, the crowd is very much different. Valkyries games are more family-oriented. You see a lot of mom, dad, and kids where our games, it’s usually not as much of that. So, the audience is different. And you know how kids are. They hear other kids cheering…But the product they’ve produced has been really amazing for me, at least.”

Podziemski’s fit being the superfan is not a forced connection. He is genuinely excited for the game and doesn’t mind yelling at the officials or trash-talking to other WNBA stars. The 22-year-old star guard is truly locked in this offseason. But the project is not the Warriors; instead, it’s for the Valkyries.