Too $hort’s “Blow the Whistle” has become the Valkyries’ sonic signature — and the Bay Area legend says what they’ve built is unlike anything in pro sports. In Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, when the fans welcomed the team onto the court to the Too $hort classic, it was a reminder of how closely the Bay Area’s culture had connected to the team in just two years, and for the rap legend himself, the team’s rise has been amazing to watch.
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“I have never seen that in any sport. An expansion team, first-year playoffs, second-year championship,” Too $hort said during an interview on USA Network, which was clipped and posted to their X page.
“I put a lot of credit, cause it’s all the team. It’s the team; it’s the coaches. But I put a lot of a lot of credit to the city too. It is the energy; it’s so amazing that I was getting phone calls last season from employees who were saying Valkyries games are more hype than the Warriors games last season.”
He’s not wrong. While rapid expansion-to-title runs are rare, the Valkyries were the first expansion WNBA team to make the postseason in their first year in the league, going 23-21 in 2025 to enter the playoffs as the eighth seed. Though they got swept in the first round, it provided valuable experience for the future and showed that there was a foundation to build upon.
That foundation attracted Gabby Williams in the offseason, who cited the team’s ‘winning culture’ as her draw
“There were three key factors in making my decision,” Williams said . “Where am I going to win? Where am I going to be a part of a winning culture? Even though this is a newer team, I feel the competitiveness and the want to win … the next thing for me was the culture off of the court … from the outside seeing what it looks like to be in this team was something I really, really need right now.”
Williams led the Valkyries to a 32-12 record this season, anchoring the league’s best defense. On the way to the Finals, they beat the defending champion Las Vegas Aces and five-time MVP A’ja Wilson
The Atlanta Dream and Angel Reese stand between the Valkyries and their first championship, with the series tied 1-1. Too $hort credited the team’s unbelievable energy, and when asked to describe them in one word, he added a Bay Area twist.
“I would say hyphy,” he said, laughing.
The term, which references the high-energy hip-hop scene and party culture in the Bay Area, fits the team, which has quickly paired its competitive success with a distinct home-court personality. The Chase Center’s energy is relentless — fans shout lyrics during interviews, match the players’ intensity, and create a home-court advantage that even coach Nakase has weaponized.
“If they do a challenge, I need hostility. If they’re shooting free throws, I need that thing to be rocking. So, game plan, Ballhalla. Get ready. Get prepped because we definitely got to use Ballhalla as our sixth man,” she had said a day before Game 1.
It worked in Game 1, with the loudest part of the game coinciding with Atlanta’s worst run.
The Dream was held to just 2-for-19 shooting in the final quarter, including going scoreless in the final 2:53. Williams went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line over that same period, sealing a 68-64 win.
Too $hort, who was present for that win, highlighted the crowd as a major difference-maker.
“It is crystal clear that that’s a Bay Area crowd,” Too $hort said of Ballhalla. “You can tell by the songs they play during the game. You can tell by the breaks, the timeouts, what they do during the timeouts, the dances and the songs they dance to… They’re not lying, like Ballhalla is louder. The fans are more intense. For some reason, those fans, those Valkyrie fans are loud and proud, really.”
For now, Golden State will look to take back the lead as the series goes to Atlanta for Game 3, tied 1-1.