Owner Joe Lacob believed in Valkyries from Day 1, but reaching WNBA Finals in second year remarkable

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The moment Joe Lacob walks into the Chase Center and heads for his courtside seats, he and his family immediately feel the enormous energy and wholesome vibe that is the Golden State Valkyries’ “Ballhalla” home crowd game after game, sellout after violet-crazed sellout.

The women’s basketball franchise Lacob always envisioned while owning the Golden State Warriors has come together in no time, and in all the right ways – from relatable players other teams overlooked to leadership from the top down and smart branding complete with a beloved raven “bestie” Violet. Just don’t dare calling her a mascot.

On Saturday, Lacob will be there roaring with the rest of them as his Valkyries begin their quest for a WNBA championship in just their second year of existence. And whatever happens, he is immensely proud of the progress and the loyal support from everyone representing all walks of life who contribute to one of the best home-court advantages anywhere.

“What is truly remarkable is how great our fans are. Our players love it, we love it,” Lacob said. “It’s great, it’s a cohesion, it’s everybody coming together all at the same time and rooting for something that is new and fresh and it’s timely. And people see it and feel it. What’s going on in that arena is fantastic, it’s remarkable, it’s incredibly fun.

“I love walking in there, my wife, my family, we all love walking in there to the tremendous feeling of camaraderie and togetherness. We all as a team of people, fans, players, organization, together we’re making history and we all feel it.”

For decades, Lacob has loved women’s basketball and when he brought a WNBA franchise to the Bay Area at last, the owner had no hesitations about making bold predictions.

He promised a championship within the first five years. And now in the second year the Valkyries are playing for one.

“I’m telling you right now, we will win a WNBA championship in the first five years of this franchise,” Lacob declared on Oct. 5, 2023, when the WNBA announced Lacob’s ownership group had been awarded an expansion franchise.

“I think it just goes to show that with a new team, (you can have success) with a clear vision of what you want and the identity that you want,” center Kiah Stokes said. “Shoutout to the Valkyries organization, because they had this vision from the start, and to be able to see it come to fruition already in year two is pretty amazing and pretty special. We have a great group, it’s really special, and we’re looking forward to the finals.”

Lacob had followed his prediction with the same statement to now-coach Natalie Nakase when he interviewed her to be the sideline leader. She was all in from that moment.

“It’s just a perfect confluence of events and people and experience and timing. It’s just a lot of things that have all come together at the right time,” Lacob said. “I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I am shocked by this, I’m not. I think all the ingredients were there and I made that prediction knowingly and understood what I was saying, now to do it in two years, no one could sit here and tell you that would be something they would predict. No one, not even me."

Under Lacob’s leadership and the hiring of President Jess Smith and her staff, Golden State has built a roster of understated stars. Veronica Burton got cut by Dallas two years ago, while her backup point guard Kaitlyn Chen was briefly let go by the Valkyries last season before she returned. Kayla Thornton is a 33-year-old undrafted forward out of the University of Texas El Paso who became an All-Star in 2025. Gabby Williams had something to prove in the WNBA after sensing others didn’t believe in her ability.

That’s not the case anymore.

“It feels special because this is a special group,” Williams said. “All we need is each other. We just need to believe in each other, we know we weren’t a team that was talked about, but just the culture and going to work every day, we felt that we had something worth fighting for. That’s how we’re going into the finals, with that same mentality — staying together and staying unselfish.”

Lacob is into it, yelling from courtside in his Valkyries violet gear.

But this goes back decades for him. He supported Stanford and followed along when Hall of Fame Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer led the Americans’ gold-medal dominance at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and Lacob became a founding owner of the San Jose Lasers in the former ABL. He is thrilled with the WNBA's recent strides and the rise of women's sports.

Count Warriors coach Steve Kerr as a huge fan of these Valkyries.

“They’re so fun to watch, they’re so unselfish, they’re so tough, smart, well coached,” Kerr said. “And having watched this thing unfold over two years, I can’t imagine that there’s ever been a better expansion team in terms of the unveiling of everything – the brand, the colors, the name, the logo, the mascot, the vibe in the building. It’s incredible. We’re really proud of the team, excited for Natalie and her staff. We can’t wait for the finals.”

It certainly helps to have Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski and Gui Santos showing up in support.

Kyrie Irving has taken notice, too.

No matter who is cheering, Nakase has a message for the loyal, loud fans in a home crowd of 18,064 — including her top boss, Lacob — she is so counting on bringing their support to another level.

“Since we're prepping for a great game plan, Ballhalla better be prepping for a game plan,” Nakase said. “So as soon as they're announced, I need some hostility. If they do a challenge, I need hostility, and if they're shooting free throws, I need that thing to be rocking. Game plan, Ballhalla, get ready, get prepped.”

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