On August 17, 2024 (Deb's birthday) Jordyn and Deb took Caltrain up to San Francisco to attend the Golden State Valkyries Open House. The Valkyries are owned by the same owners of the Golden State Warriors
and is the latest expansion franchise to join the WNBA. This event was open to the fans who expressed interest in purchasing season tickets. They were allowed to wander all over Chase Center to see what the
view was like from any seat in the arena. They also got to visit the JP Morgan Club and spoke with Valkyries President, Jess Smith. This was an incredibly well planned event that excited potential season
ticket holders about the organization. It also affords the fans an opportunity to watch a team grow from an upstart expansion franchise into a thrilling thriving team with playoff potential.
Outside the Chase Center.
Posing in front of the GSW logo.
Golden State Valkyries.
Upper level.
Lower level.
This view isn't bad.
This might be a good seat.
Macaroon.
JP Morgan Club.
Deb & Jordyn.
Valkyries President Jess Smith.
Jordyn.
So, after Jordyn and Deb finished their tour of Chase Center and figured out where Jordyn might like to sit if she were to buy season tickets, they got on another Caltrain and headed to San Carlos. Dad,
Tyler, and Connor would drive up to meet them at the station and then proceed to Noelani's Island Grill. This is where Deb wanted to celebrate her birthday. It was a good decision as everyone enjoyed their
dinners immensely. Deb made sure to have one their fruity alcoholic beverages too! Afterward, they all went home to open gifts and eat a birthday guava cake that Auntie Pauline bought. Oh, and Deb showed
off her Valkyries gear she bought at the Open House.
On Tuesday, May 6, 2025 the Golden State Valkyries took the court in their first ever preseason game. Jordyn couldn't wait to go (and neither could Deb). Together they took Caltrain to the Chase Center in
San Francisco. Jordyn's seats are in the lower bowl in the corner behind the visiting team's bench. They said they had great views of almost every inch of the court.
This game matched the Valkyries against the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks had a poor season last year, but during the off-season they picked up veteran guard Kelsey Plum (Deb's favorite) from the Las Vegas
Aces. She along with forward Cameron Brink (played college ball at Stanford and is Steph Curry's godsister), who was injured last season, will make the Sparks a much better team. For the Valkyries there was
one player many fans were eager to see. Kaitlyn Chen was drafted in the third round before the season began. Chen played for UConn in her senior year of college and was fresh off the national championship
before being drafted. When she entered the game in the second half the arena erupted. When she scored on a fast break layup assisted by teammate Julie Vanloo the Chase Center went nuts.
While the Valkyries played with energy, competed with a never-say-die attitude, and were incredibly exciting to watch, they couldn't do quite enough to win the game (82-83, lost by 1 point!). Despite the loss,
Jordyn and Deb said the whole experience was incredibly fun. The excitement in the arena was "next level" rivaling a playoff game atmosphere. Total attendance was 17,428 which is the third highest attended
preseason game in WNBA history. They can't wait for the next game!
Friday, May 16th was opening night for the Valkyries! Jordyn and Deb were chomping at the bit to attend this historic first ever Valkyries regular season game. As Dad was in L.A. to help
Connor move out of his dorm, they would have to drive to the train station, park the car, and jump on Caltrain up to the city. Once they arrived,
they stopped at Spark Social SF. This space near the Chase Center has food trucks and eating areas where they found a sandwich truck, Wash House 42. Jordyn tried the tonkatsu sandwich while Deb sampled
their chicken katsu sandwich. Both were really good and really huge. When they were done eating they headed into the arena where excitement was off the charts. Once inside they found ample opportunities to
take pictures celebrating this first ever regular season game, and when they got to their seats they found free t-shirts commemorating the Valkyries' inaugural season! After settling in they scanned the arena
and saw Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr sitting on the opposite sideline to watch the game. Jonathan Kuminga was also sitting courtside next to Golden State Valkryies and Warriors owner Joe Lacob.
Besides those Warriors, Brandin Podziemski and Kevon Looney were also in attendance. Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Doc Rivers could be seen in the stands too. Valkyries Head Coach Natalie Nakase was an assistant
coach for Rivers when he was head coach of the Clippers. Earlier, while walking through the arena they also saw Kristi Yamaguchi too!
As mentioned, excitement for this game was really high. Everyone in attendance (sold out crowd of 18,064 - highest attendance for any WNBA team in its first game) was grateful for the opportunity to see
history in the making. It would be the first regular season game for a brand new professional sports franchise in the San Francisco Bay Area in a long time. While the game was close for the first 3 quarters,
the visiting Los Angeles Sparks would capitalize on Valkyrie turn overs in the 4th. The Sparks newly acquired free agent Kelsey Plum was on fire for the entirety of the game and scored 37 points. The Valkyries
did electrify the fans when they got the ball on offense though. Valkyries Guard Julie Vanloo hit 3 consecutive 3-pointers in the third quarter that sent the crowd into a frenzy. In the end the Valkyries
would lose their very first home opener 67 - 84, but that didn't make the night any less exciting and fun. In appreciation of the effort and commitment, the crowd gave a powerful standing ovation to the team
as the game came to a close.
At the second home game of the inaugural season, Jordyn and Tyler went to watch the Valkyries take on the Washington Mystics. Jordyn wanted to take Tyler since he would be home for the first time since
graduating from college. Just like the other times when Jordyn went, they took Caltrain up to San Francisco. They stopped at Spark Social
SF again for dinner, but this time they tried poke from Poke Delish. Both said it wasn't bad, but they doubt they'll go back again. Once they were finished they headed into the arena and walked around a little
bit. Tyler needed to buy a gift, and since Jordyn gets a discount for being a season ticket holder Tyler took full advantage.
When they sat down Tyler was amazed at how close they were. He had been to a Warriors game before at Chase but never this close. Like all the other Valkyries games Jordyn had been to, this one was no different.
The crowd was really into it from beginning to end. The energy was sky high, and fourth-year journeyman guard Veronica Burton created a name for herself this game by scoring a team high 22 points including a
3-pt buzzer beater to end the first half. The Valkyries would need those points because for the first time at the Chase Center the Valkyries broke through and won their first home game ever! Jordyn and Tyler
were ecstatic to be there to witness the Valkyries first home win among another sell out crowd of 18,064!
Jordyn and Connor attended this home game as the Valkyries took on the undefeated Minnesota Lynx. Last season the Lynx played in the WNBA Finals but lost to the New York Liberty in 5 games. So far this
season, both the Lynx and Liberty are the only two undefeated teams in the league. One of the Minnesota players Connor really likes is Lynx forward, Napheesa "Phee" Collier. Collier is an All-Star player who
can score, rebound, and play lock-down defense. As a matter of fact, she was unanimously selected as Defensive Player of the Year for the 2024 season.
This game was similar to the first regular season game against the Sparks. The Valkyries would be close through the first half, but for half of the 3rd quarter they would miss shots and turn the ball over.
They would make a run to get closer in the 4th but ultimately the gap was too much to overcome. Just the same, the crowd was really into it from beginning to end and everyone had a great time. By the way,
this was the third consecutive sell out for the Valkyries at home. They are the first team in WNBA history to have 18,000+ fans in each of their first 3 home games.
This game was on everyone's calendar. This was the game where Valkyries fans would get their first look at Caitlin Clark. Clark was regarded as one of the greatest female basketball players in collegiate
history. When she ended her college career at the University of Iowa she was the all-time leader in three pointers made in NCAA Division I women's basketball. She was drafted by the Indiana Fever as the
number one overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. She won Rookie of the Year last season and was selected as an WNBA All-Star as well. She, arguably, is the reason why there's so much interest in women's
basketball and the WNBA in particular.
Jordyn and Deb got on a super early train to the arena so they could eat at the food trucks and then head to Chase Center to shop before the game started (did I mention Jordyn gets a discount?). It definitely
felt like there was a lot more people at this game (another sell-out). Notable celebrities in the house included team owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr,
Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski, former Warrior Juan Toscano-Anderson, U.S. Olympic Gold Medal skater Kristi Yamaguchi, and U.S. Olympic Gold Medal soccer player Brandi Chastain. They also noticed a lot of
fans wearing Caitlin Clark jerseys not only from the Fever but also from the University of Iowa. On this day, if Caitlin Clark wasn't enough, the Valkyries also gave away free Valkyries posters. Somehow,
Jordyn scored two so she left one here at the house.
When the game started it appeared as if the Valkyries were in some kind of funk. They couldn't seem to get anything going and they were missing shots left and right. At the end of the first quarter they had
only scored 12 points to the Fever's 21. If the Valkyries didn't get something going soon they were in for a long night. At one point in the second quarter they trailed by as much as 13 points! Fortunately,
they had a late run to close the quarter and only trailed by six at the half. In the second half the Valkyries locked down on defense. They disrupted passing lanes and were aggressively defending the rim.
Shots began to fall from beyond the 3-point arc and the crowd really amped up the energy in the arena. Valkyries Head Coach Natalie Nakase said in her post-game interview that the fans tonight were their
superpower. When the final buzzer sounded the Valkyries won by 11 points and held Caitlin Clark to just 11 points with no 3-pointers.
Jordyn wanted to take Tyler to this game as a birthday gift since it was the day before his 22nd Birthday. They hopped on Caltrain a little
after 3:00 pm. This would give them time to look around a little before tip off. Jordyn was most interested in finding the mural with the names of all the season ticket holders. She knew it was coming, but
didn't realize they had already made it available for everyone to see. The other reason she wanted to get there early was to get the free towels available for the first 10,000 fans.
The game was pretty even in the first quarter, but the second quarter was all Valkyries. The Valks scored a franchise record 36 points in the second and held the Sun to a mere 63 total points, the fewest
points allowed by the Valkyries this season. The big highlight was seeing Kaitlyn Chen take the floor for the first time in a regular season game. Jordyn last saw Chen play in the very first pre-season game
against the L.A. Sparks. This game not only saw Chen come off the bench since being re-signed but also score her first points in a regular
season game. In the end she made two lay ups, one free throw (an and one), and had an assist for a +/- of +15. While she's only here temporarily until the many European players return from the FIBA Women's
EuroBasketball tournament, everyone was excited to see her make her regular season debut.
As mentioned before, they arrived at the arena early to see Jordyn's name and to get their towels. The plan was to do all that, watch the game, and have dinner at the food trucks since it would only be about
7:30 pm when everything was done. The problem was this game fell on a Sunday and Spark Social SF closed at 5:30 pm. Fortunately, the area around the Chase Center has lots of food options so they walked up
toward the 4th Street Bridge and found Casey's Pizza.
Jordyn and her friend Katie went to this game. Katie gave up her preseason meeting with a Valkyries Season Ticket Representative so Jordyn could take her place instead. This allowed Jordyn to move up in
the queue for selecting seats. As a thank you, Jordyn reserved this game for Katie so the two of them could go together. While the Valkyries couldn't pull off the win it was a well played game with lots of
excitement.
This was a big game for the Valkyries. In their last 6 games at the Chase Center the Valkyries were 5-1 which included wins against the Las Vegas Aces
(2023 WNBA Champions) and the Indiana Fever (Caitlin Clark). This was an excellent opportunity to ride the momentum and try to steal a win
against the reigning WNBA Champions, Liberty. The game was back and forth with each team exchanging the lead. Sabrina Ionescu, the Liberty 3-point sharp shooter, was pedestrian this game. She was 1-7 from
beyond the 3-point arc, but she was 8-8 at the free throw line. The Liberty player who the Valkyries didn't seem to have an answer for was Breanna Stewart who had 23 points to lead all scorers.
The Valkyries countered with Kate Martin who scored a career best 21 points. Unfortunately, other Valkyrie scorers like Kayla Thornton and Tiffany Hayes only scored 11 and 15 respectively. Regardless, the
Valkyries made a valiant effort to stay in the game and potentially win, but in the end it wasn't meant to be and they lost by 3. It was an incredibly fun game to watch, however, and at the final whistle the
fans reacted as they have all season long with a roaring ovation.
Mom was busy with work, so Dad went with Jordyn to this game. They left mid-afternoon on Caltrain to get to the food trucks to eat an early dinner. The place was pretty busy as the weather was super nice
and people were getting ready for the weekend. They ordered at the Burger Littles food truck where Dad got a double cheese burger and Jordyn got a grilled cheese. They both also ordered fries and Dr. Peppers.
After enjoying their food, they headed straight to the arena so Dad could take a look at the Golden State store and then see the mural with all the Valkyrie first year season ticket holder names. They also
didn't want to miss the free give-away, a Valkyries fan.
This was a game the Valkyries wanted to win badly. Two days before, they lost to the Liberty by a paltry 3 points, so the Valkyries were
hoping to get back on track against this struggling Chicago Sky team. Despite their record the Sky played hard and never gave up. The Valkyries would get out to a decent lead only to relinquish it a few
minutes later. Chicago's Angel Reese scored 17 points and had 18 rebounds. Guard Ariel Atkins had 20 points to lead the Sky and was making shots whenever they needed one. Coming off the bench, Guard Kia
Nurse went 5-11 from beyond the arc, but it felt like she hit a 3 every time she touched the ball.
Fortunately for the Valkyries, Kayla Thornton came to play as she scored a career high 29 points! Other top scorers for the Valkyries included Tiffany Hayes with 13, Kate Martin with 11, and Kaitlyn Chen with
a career best 10 points! It was back and forth all game long, but the Valkyries came away with the win in the end. Needless to say everyone left the arena extremely happy. Speaking of leaving, when Jordyn
and Dad got on Caltrain to return home, they got on the same car as Coach Bryan and Linda Nishimoto!
This was a game that went back and forth and was thrilling right up to the end, sort of. Clutch shots were being made by both teams. Unfortunately for the Valkyries, in their inaugural season, they're
learning about the officiating. Most nights there are some calls that don't go their way or that are just plain bad, but they do tend to even out in the end. This game, however, saw a pretty bad call at the
very end of the game that allowed the Phoenix Mercury to essentially win the game on a free throw. After the game, Valkyries Head Coach Natalie Nakase asked for the officiating to be more consistent so games
aren't decided at the free throw line. She believes when games end in this fashion it does a disservice to the fans. This wasn't the only "questionable" (most would call them outright bad) call during the game
but it was the one that decided the outcome. Just the same, Jordyn and Deb did have a great time, and as they were both part of the first 10,000 fans in attendance they received free wrist pouches!
In this, the Valkyries inaugural season, no one thought they would contend for a playoff spot. No expansion team has ever made it to the playoffs in their first season. However, they currently sit as the
#6 seed in playoff rankings. Only the top 8 teams can make the playoffs. With a mere 5 games remaining in the regular season the Valkyries find that their magic number sits at 3. This means any combination
of Valkyrie wins or Los Angeles Sparks losses (currently the #9 seed) that totals 3 in the final games of the season will guarantee the Valkyries a playoff berth. The Valkyries are in the driver's seat
obviously as the #6 seed, but they need to play some very good teams to close out the regular season including the 5th seed New York Liberty (this game), 7th seed Seattle Storm, and 2 games against the #1 seed
Minnesota Lynx.
The New York Liberty won the WNBA Championship last year behind the stellar talents of Sabrina Ionescu (Overall #1 2022 draft pick, 2022 WNBA All-Star, 2024 WNBA Champion, originally from Walnut Creek);
Breanna Stewart (2-time WNBA MVP & 3-time WNBA Champion); and Jonquel Jones (2024 WNBA Finals MVP, 2021 WNBA MVP, 5-time WNBA All-Star). This game saw Ionescu on the bench due to injury, so the Valkyries
wouldn't have to contend with her long-range shooting. However, in the final two games of the WNBA Finals last season, Ionescu played hurt and didn't contribute like she normally could, so Stewart and Jones
picked up the load and they still won the championship. This game was pivotal if the Valkyries wanted to secure their spot in the playoffs. They couldn't rely on the L.A. Sparks to lose. The Valkyries needed
to win as many games as they possibly could.
This game was back and forth with the Valkyries trailing by 4 at the end of the first quarter. Then, in the second, the Valkyries went on a tear with huge 3-pointers from Janelle Salaun and Kate Martin to take
a 40-26 lead going into the second half. However, everyone knew about the injuries the Valkyries have had to endure, and while scoring in the first half hadn't been a problem, maintaining stamina in the second
half due to a short bench was an issue. Luckily, Monique Billings returned this game after being out for a month, and she received a huge standing ovation when she entered the game. She was a welcome addition
to a depleted roster, but whether she was in game shape or could overcome any rust was a big question. Mo was inserted into and out of the game sporadically and definitely gave the Valkyries much needed bench
depth as well as another "big" to get rebounds. She ended the game with 5 points and 3 offensive boards which was a huge difference maker. The Valkyries battled throughout the second half and won the game
66-58.
The recap of this game can be found here on Tyler's website. In the recap it was mentioned that both Jordyn and Tyler were interviewed
before entering the game by a reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle. Here's the video!
The evening before the Chronicle video dropped, KCRA, the NBC affiliate in Sacramento, aired a similar Kaitlyn Chen piece using some of the same video recorded before the Wings game on their evening news.
KCRA, 9/8/25.
KCRA website article.
2025 WNBA Playoffs Round 1, Game 2 Valkyries vs. Lynx 74-75 (L) Wednesday, September 17, 2025
In Minnesota the Valkyries were trounced (72 - 101) in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs. In order to move into the second round, the Valkyries would now have to win 2 straight games, the first at
the SAP Center in San Jose and the following game in Minnesota. When taken into consideration that the Valkyries had yet to beat the number one seeded Lynx in either the regular season (0 - 3) or, so far, in
the post-season (0 - 1) it became clear how dire the situation was.
To make matters worse, the Valkyries would have to play their first ever post-season home game at the SAP Center down in San Jose due to a scheduling conflict at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The Laver
Cup (global tennis tournament) was scheduled years ago before Golden State was awarded a WNBA franchise, and no one would have ever conceived that in their first season they would make the playoffs. Just the
same, the team did all they could to make sure the home court advantage the Valkyries enjoyed in San Francisco would travel south to San Jose. They went so far as to pull up the court from the Chase Center
and reassembled it at the SAP. And, actually having it in the San Jose arena afforded the Valkyries the ability to admit an additional 500 fans to experience their first ever home playoff game.
As a season ticket holder, Jordyn would sit in the lower bowl. The difference, however, was instead of sitting near the corner behind the visiting team bench, she was instead moved near the corner behind the
home bench. This was actually pretty nice because it put her very close to the tunnel where the players enter the court. Mom and Dad got similar seats but in the upper bowl right above where Jordyn and Tyler
sat. Despite all the changes, the vibe in the arena was no different than if the game were played in San Francisco. "Ballhalla" traveled south with the team and the energy and excitement were exactly the same.
The game started well for the Valks. Their defense was stifling and they were hitting their shots. Through 3 quarters the Valkyries led by as much as 17 points. Then, in the 4th quarter the Lynx with their
veteran leadership and star power began to make their comeback.
They erased a 14 point deficit with an 11-0 run to begin the final quarter. The Valkyries were struggling to make shots and started to turn the ball over. Despite the lapses they still had a chance to win it
with less than 3 seconds left. Trailing by one point the Valkyries had possession of the ball and could make a winning shot if they could inbound and then execute a well designed play drawn up on the sideline
by 2025 WNBA Coach of the Year, Natalie Nakase. Everything went according to plan except the shot was just a little too hard and bounced off the back rim as time expired. The fairy tale season came to an end,
but the love and admiration for the team did not. Every fan remained in the arena to cheer on and thank the team as they gathered at midcourt for one final on-court post-game meeting. It was powerful and
something that might be difficult to duplicate in a professional sports environment again. In a day and age when people in this country are so divided, it was reassuring to attend a public event that united and
connected everyone.
Caltrain station across the street from the SAP Center.
View from the "cheap seats".
Mom in the section just above Jordyn and Tyler.
View from the season ticket holder seats.
Tyler and Jordyn.
Pre-game warm-ups.
"First of a Lifetime"
Post-Season Awards
Before tip-off the WNBA Commissioner, Cathy Engelbert presented two post-season awards. The first went to Valkyries starting point guard, Veronica Burton for Most Improved Player. Having been relegated to
the bench for most of her early years she saw limited playing time. On the Valkyries, however, she would be a starter and could really show who she was as a player. All of her key statistics saw dramatic
increases. In one year she went from being cut and unprotected in the expansion draft to a full time starter and leader on a playoff team.
The second award went to Head Coach Natalie Nakase for Coach of the Year. No expansion team in its first year ever had as many wins or made the playoffs before. Also, in the middle of the season when the team
lost a number of their international players so they could participate in the EuroBasket Women 2025 Tournament, Nakase found a way to continue winning going 5-2 in that span. Always quick to deflect any praise
coming her way, Nakase continued to pay tribute to her coaching staff and players as the key reasons for the team's success. When she finally accepted the trophy she tried to hand it off to members of her
coaching staff so they could hold it, but instead they all deflected as if to say, "Uh-uh, this is all you, you earned it".
