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Valkyries set historical precedent with another sold-out crowd
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- Valkyries set historical precedent with another sold-out crowd
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While the Golden State Valkyries lost their third game in a row after falling 86-75 to the Minnesota Lynx , they still made history. The Sunday night game marked the first time in WNBA history that a franchise sold out its first three home games with 18,000+ fans in the arena . It's been less than a month since the Valkyries made their debut at Chase Center, but it's clear the fans are passionate about their new sports club.
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After the game, Valkyries' guards Kate Martin and Veronica Burton reflected on the overwhelming support from the Bay Area fanbase.
"It's honestly incredible," Martin said. "When you have a fanbase [that] just sticks through the highs and lows of the games and cheer you on, it really does bring us energy. Sometimes you need it if you've missed a few shots in a row. To have such supportive fans, it does help."
Even when the Valkyries have been down big, the fans at Chase Center have stayed engaged at these games. When Minnesota took a 22-point lead late in the fourth, few fans headed for the exits. If anything, the fans got louder. Whether it was booing the officials on unfavorable foul calls or erupting when Golden State chained together a few 3s towards the end of the game, the arena was buzzing through thick and thin.
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"It's a testament to the community," Burton added. "The investment [the organization has] poured into us. We're grateful, and it challenges us, and it raises us to a new level. We feel [the crowd] throughout the game, and we rely on them. We're grateful for a fan base that continues to support us, and hopefully that continues throughout the season."
It's early in the season, but there's no sign the Valkyries' hype train of slowing down anytime soon. Before the season, they were the first WNBA franchise to sell 10,000 season tickets . On top of that, the franchise had 22,000+ total ticket deposits they still have to work through. And with high-profile teams like the Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever rolling into town soon, Chase Center is expected to be at full capacity for the time being.
Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
One coach's theory on the Valkyries' massive fan interest
The Valkyries' popularity is making waves not only in the Bay Area but also throughout the WNBA. Before the game, the Lynx's legendary head coach, Cheryl Reeve, acknowledged Golden State's early success with the fans. The most decorated coach in WNBA history offered her theory as to why the Valkyries' hype is so high so early on .
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"There's been so much newness in the league. I think the timing is great for an expansion team. Because you are a part of that newness," Reeve said, referencing the surge in public interest in the WNA. "So the direction that they chose, the persistence with which they decided upon an identity, and are committed to that identity, and what they are doing is what I think that I've noticed the most."
In the same press conference, Reeve also had high praise for first-time head coach Natalie Nakase . The architect behind the Lynx's four WNBA championships praised Nakase for establishing the Valkyries' on-court identity.
"Natalie's doing a great job… One of the things I always look at with a team when I'm watching them play is do they understand what their identity is?" Reeve said. "If I don't, you kind of wonder if they know what their identity is. So it's very clear what the identity of the Golden State Valkyries is on both ends of the floor."
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As painful as it's been on the court for Golden State in their 2-4 start, they're trending up. They've had their highs, they've had their lows. But Reeve's observations signal a bright future for Nakase, the Valkyries, and their fanbase moving forward.
