The Golden State Valkyries have filled Chase Center for every single game since their debut. The kids around the block have had these ladies’ backs all season. But when the Valkyries needed some extra cheer from the sideline, the basketball royalty showed up at “Valhalla.”
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When the Valkyries hosted the Atlanta Dream for Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, some of the biggest stars from the Golden State Warriors showed up in support. According to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Warriors stars Stephen Curry, Moses Moody, Draymond Green and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg were in attendance for Saturday’s game in the Bay Area. Even before the Valkyries took the court, Curry had some encouraging words for the team.
“First off, shout out to the Valkyries. They’re gonna take care of business tomorrow night here at Chase Center,” he said after the Warriors’ preseason game on Friday.
The Valkyries are playing their second season in the WNBA, yet they have reached the Finals. That makes them the fastest expansion team ever to get there. Their instant success is a testament to the winning culture in Golden State, and Steve Kerr is the true architect of that. Speaking of Kerr, he was also in the building. A video on X showed him rocking the Valkyries’ purple gear and hugging Cheryl Miller.
“To see the team in the finals in its second year, it’s just incredible. It makes us very proud. Everybody with the Warriors is really proud of what the Valkyries are doing,” he said.
The Valkyries made the playoffs in their first year, and now they are in the Finals a year later. They beat the Dallas Wings in the first round and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals to book their place.
The Valkyries’ first Finals started slowly on Saturday. The Dream outscored them 22-14 in the opening quarter, but the Valkyries responded quickly. They took a three-point lead at halftime after outscoring the Dream 28-17 in the second quarter.
However, they couldn’t keep up the heat in the third quarter. The Dream held them to just nine points and outscored them by eight points, taking a five-point lead into the fourth. Golden State then took control.
The Valkyries took care of business in Game 1, taking home a 68-64 win and going up 1-0 in the series.