The Golden State WNBA expansion team announced Tuesday its name and brand identity: the Golden State Valkyries.
Originating from Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike. This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce. The franchise, which marks the first WNBA expansion team since 2008, will begin play in the 2025 WNBA season at Chase Center. The Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate team of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, have already surpassed 7,500 season ticket deposits for the team’s inaugural season.
This Saturday, May 18, from 2–6 p.m., Thrive City will host a Valkyries Block Party featuring appearances and performances from iconic artists with ties to the Bay Area. The event will include appearances from E-40, Goapele, Kehlani, Khyenci, Mayzin and P-Lo, and will be moderated by Zena Keita (NBC Sports Bay Area, The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show). Beginning tomorrow, May 15 at 10 a.m., fans who have placed a Valkyries season ticket deposit will receive early access to event tickets. Fans who wish to become a Valkyries season ticket member can do so by placing a deposit at valkyries.com.
Valkyries merchandise is available now at shop.valkyries.com. The collection includes products from FISLL, Nike, Playa Society, The Wild Collective, WEAR by Erin Andrews, and Wilson.
“The story of the Golden State Valkyries begins now,” said Valkyries President Jess Smith. “And what better way than to be surrounded and supported by Bay Area legends as we take our rightful place in the WNBA and beyond. This is the Bay’s time to show what’s possible with the best fans in the world.”
The Valkyries brand was developed by Cartwright, led by Warriors Senior Vice President of Marketing Amanda Chin. The brand’s visual identity creation, which began in October 2023, included forging the team’s name and colors as well as the full logo system, brand positioning, and launch assets.
“Communities own sports teams, so it’s only fitting that as we embarked on the brand identity development process, we really listened to the fans and selected a name that they wanted,” said Chin. “Through surveys and social media, the name that continued to come up the most, by far, was Valkyries. Once we completed a rigorous process to examine and approve the name, we worked around the clock to build the supporting brand elements that our players and fans alike would be proud to represent.”
Features of the Valkyries brand include:
- The outer shape of the logo is a V, reinforcing the V in Valkyries, which symbolizes the unity of a group of Valkyries in flight, and standing for victory.
- The Bay Bridge is depicted to reinforce the team’s presence across the Bay, but specifically the tie between the team’s homes in both Oakland, where the team’s practice facility and front office is located, and in San Francisco’s Chase Center, where the team will play all home games. The bridge tower doubles as a sword—a symbol of courage, power, and authority. Swords are weapons frequently depicted with Valkyries in mythology.
- The bridge cables double as wings, a strong telegraphic symbol of Valkyries. The five triangles formed within the wings represent the five players facing each other on each side of the court.
- The thirteen lines coming from the top of the sword represent the Valkyries becoming the 13th active team in the WNBA.
- Valkyrie Violet symbolizes power, ambition, nobility, and women’s empowerment, much like purple has been used symbolically in modern history.
About the Golden State Valkyries
The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise on October 5, 2023. Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team will be headquartered in Oakland and play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco. For more information, please visit valkyries.com.