As of publication, the Golden State Valkyries were well on their way to a Game 1 win in their opening round playoff series against the Dallas Wings, leading by 30+ points late in the third quarter. And if you listened to the official broadcast, you would hear the unmistakable roar of the Valkyries home crowd. For Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase, as good as the team has been, it’s been the fans at ‘Ballhalla’ that have helped carry them, as per Madisyn Cunningham of Winsidr.

“Ballhalla is part of us. They’re our Sixth Man. They roar when they’re supposed to roar, they’re hostile when they’re supposed to be hostile … we know we’re not going to be able to hear,” Nakase said. “Playin here, again, is one of the best. It is literally my dream come true to have this type of energy, because that’s how we play. We fight, we punch, we’re physical. They’re a part of us, they help us with that energy.”

Article Continues Below

The Valkyries set home crowd records during their inaugural season last year amid multiple sell-outs. The team made the playoffs in their first seasons as a No. 8 seed, and this year they improved to the No. 2 seed in the league standings. The Valkyries have also been selected as All-Star Weekend host for 2027.

This is Natalie Nakase’s second season at the helm as Valkyries head coach. She was hired as the franchise’s first ever coach after spending three seasons on staff under Becky Hammon with the Las Vegas Aces. She was a part of the Aces’ championship teams in 2022 and 2023.