In three decades of the W, there has been more than just a little expansion.
Beyond the game, it has taken over the globe, thanks to the likes of Lisa Leslie, A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, and many more (to come, too). Inside the WNBA, it’s even expanded across the United States and Northern America.
Canada entered the league this year, twenty years after the Toronto Raptors and the then Vancouver Grizzlies made their NBA debuts as the first major-league basketball teams outside the US. And behind the likes of a record-breaking Marina Mabrey and ever evolving Brittney Sykes, Toronto upped the Tempo in its inaugural season. One that also saw the relighting of the Portland Fire.
The legendary, first dynasty of the Houston Comets will also return next season as the Sun will set on Connecticut. Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia will additionally welcome WNBA teams in forthcoming seasons.
Yet across the Golden Gate Bridge in the Bay Area, nothing is quite like the Golden State Valkyries. Except maybe that chef still cooking up things from downtown San Francisco.
You see, in this landmark and celebrated 30th WNBA season, it wasn’t the three-peat of five-time MVP A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces winning their fourth title in as many a year. Nor was it their super-team rival, the New York Liberty, who won it two seasons ago, behind superstars Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu.
Instead, it is the Golden State Valkyries, in only the expansion team’s second-year in the Women’s NBA, who are your new champions of the W.
A Kyrie hasn’t hit this big in The Bay since Irving was raining his own threes over Steph Curry a decade ago in another monumental Game 7.
The first ever WNBA Finals to go all seven games was an absolute thriller like a movie called ‘Michael’. All as the Valkyries struck swords with a third-year superstar not named Caitlin.
Yep, you can put all that Angel Reese hate to bed now, as the Atlanta Dream star set WNBA Finals rebound records, grabbing 16 “me-bounds” in a game. Becoming the youngest player in W history to achieve this feat following the 120 rebounds she caught off the rim and the glass in 11 games. The most by a WNBA player in her first playoff run.
Oh, and she now holds the record for the most points (185) by a center in a WNBA playoff campaign. But she doesn’t hold the ‘chip. And because of that Game 7 heartbreak, the Bayou Barbie has decided to shut down her podcast for the next six months as she gets back in the lab.
The ATL still has a dream team ready to give others nightmares, featuring Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Naz Hillmon, Dewanna Bonner and Jordin Canada. We will see them here again.
It was another star who took the crown for coach Natalie Nakase’s women as the Dream were outduelled in seven by the Valkyries.
Two years back, in the duel defeat for the French national men and women’s basketball team’s Gold Medal games against Team USA, we told you it wasn’t just Victor Wembanyama that had next after Paris 2024. Frenchwoman Gabby Williams’ valiant effort deserved more. Like a spot in the league she used to be in.
That came in the next season with the Seattle Storm. But what was to come, when she expanded her game with the Golden State Valkyries, seemed like destiny.
An All-star year. A superstar showing. And now this. Finals MVP and the one thing that means everything…a ring.
The winner took it all in the do-or-die final Finals game. Scoring 30-points in the Valkyries 68-63 win on October 31st. Recording a WNBA Finals rewriting 28 of those points in the second-half, including a fourth quarter she took over.
“I wasn’t going to lose on Halloween,” Williams told the USA Network broadcast post-game.
But Nakase’s Valkyries are scary deep, too. With the likes of Veronica Burton, Tiffany Hayes, Kiah Stokes (who had a leading 13 boards), and 1 through 15, many more.
Last year, the women warriors of Golden State became the first expansion team in the league to clinch a playoff berth in their inaugural season. Now, they’re much more than that.
Oh, and did we forget to mention they swept the season-MVP and defending champion Las Vegas in their semi’s series?
What’s higher than that ace in the hole?
How about what they’ve just hoisted?
From expansion to champion in just a pair of years, the future is Golden with that name on everybody’s lips like a ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ song.
Now they’re shining, like they were born to be. Dreaming hard, they came so far.
It’s their moment. Now do you believe?
