The WNBA is set to expand for the first time since 2008 when the Bay Area gets the league’s 13th franchise. On Tuesday, with the 2024 WNBA season set to tip-off later that night, they announced their new team name, the Golden State Valkyries, and unveiled their new logo and color scheme.
A combination of strength and grace, the Golden State Valkyries are writing the next chapter in the epic tale of the WNBA. pic.twitter.com/25NVgnBmU6
— Golden State Valkyries (@wnbagoldenstate) May 14, 2024
There is still plenty left to be announced for the Valkyries, from uniforms to how the team will be constructed. We know there will be an expansion draft, but won’t know exactly how many players each team will be able to protect. We also know the Valkyries will have a pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, but whether they’re given a spot in the lottery with a chance at the No. 1 pick or simply assigned a pick (like the Atlanta Dream at No. 4 in 2008) hasn’t been officially announced.
That final piece could be particularly important to their initial trajectory as a franchise. The 2025 WNBA Draft will be headlined by UConn star Paige Bueckers, as she is widely expected to go No. 1 next spring. The Minnesota native will have plenty of teams interested in landing her with the top pick, but it seems like she wouldn’t mind donning the new purple color scheme in San Francisco.
Prettiest colorway ever https://t.co/9A0bEw5dBg
— Paige Bueckers (@paigebueckers1) May 14, 2024
From a league perspective, having a new franchise be able to build around a star like Bueckers would be pretty incredible to helping the Valkyries gain traction immediately. That said, the teams at the bottom of the standings wouldn’t be thrilled if the new team swiped the top pick from them. We’ll have to wait to see if the Valkyries will be given a chance at taking Bueckers or if they’ll end up a bit further down the draft order, but if they did land the top spot, the Huskies star is a fan of their look.