Valkyries become WNBA’s most valuable franchise in debut season

The WNBA’s newest team is already its most valuable. 

According to a Sportico report, the Golden State Valkyries are the league’s most valuable franchise with a valuation of $500 million. Their value is nearly double the league’s average and worth $80 million more than the New York Liberty, which have the second-highest valuation. 

In 2023, Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob paid a record $50 million expansion fee to own the Valkyries. The Valkyries lead the league in attendance, having sold out each of their seven home games in the 18,064-capacity Chase Center. They became the first team to sell 10,000 season tickets, and only 4% of them are season ticket holders for the Warriors as well. 

Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said the sellout crowds have had a big impact on the team’s momentum during home games. 

“I think our crowd is continuing to build what they really love and that’s just great basketball,” Nakase said after the Valkyries’ win over the Indiana Fever on Thursday. “I think our crowd is just actually still learning when to scream, when to yell and they’re just doing it at the right times. So we just really appreciate them. They are our superpower.”

The 13 franchises in the WNBA have seen an increased value of 180% this season, according to the Sportico report. The teams have an estimated combined value of $3.5 billion. 

The Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever saw the biggest growth among WNBA teams. Indiana’s value rose by 273%, up to $335 million. The Fever are second to the Valkyries in attendance with an average of 16,657.

The league will expand to 15 teams next season with Portland and Toronto being brought on as expansion teams. 

The Valkyries (7-6) have already surpassed the four wins that the 2008 Atlanta Dream, the league’s last expansion team, had in their first season. They have notched impressive wins over the Fever, Seattle Storm and the Las Vegas Aces and sit in sixth in the standings.