Valkyries parade caps first WNBA title in franchise's second season

The Golden State Valkyries marked their first WNBA championship with a parade through San Francisco and Oakland, four days after sealing the title in only the franchise's second season.

The trophy was secured on 31 October with a Game 7 victory over the Atlanta Dream at Chase Center, the culmination of a finals series that went the full seven games.

Chase Center's atmosphere became central to the Valkyries' rise, with fans nicknaming the arena "Ballhalla" for its sold-out, raucous crowds, drawing comparisons to the old Oakland Arena backing for the Golden State Warriors before their move across the bay.

Guard Tiffany Hayes said the connection with supporters shaped how the team approached games. "A lot of times in my head I'm like we got to do it for them," Hayes said. "They're always here with us, like no matter we win, or we lose, we were getting that energy from them a lot."

For some players, the arena carried weight beyond basketball. Forward Gabby Williams said in an end-of-season exit interview that she had received death threats over her support for transgender rights, and described Ballhalla as personal refuge. "I've said it multiple times that Ballhalla became my safe space," Williams said.

On Pride Night, 26 June, after a win over the Dream, Williams found a courtside camera and shouted "For the gays!", a moment that resonated with the team's sizeable queer fanbase.

Season ticket holder Cheryl Espinosa-Jones told SFGATE that the connection went beyond results on the floor. "This world is just a mess," she said. "Joy is revolutionary."

The bond was evident even in defeat during the finals, when Chase Center fans gave the team a standing ovation after losing Game 2 of the series against Atlanta.

Williams said that reception helped carry her through the pressure of a title run. "There were moments when I was like, 'How am I going to play through all of this?' And then I would walk into Ballhalla and be like, 'That's how,'" she said. "I just want to thank our fanbase for being themselves because it allowed me to be myself."

Head coach Natalie Nakase guided the expansion franchise to the title in its second year of existence, a rapid rise for a team that only entered the league in its inaugural season before this triumph.

The parade route through both San Francisco and Oakland underlined the team's identity across the wider Bay Area, closing out a championship campaign that began with questions about a second-year expansion side and ended with a seven-game finals triumph over Atlanta.

Having claimed their maiden WNBA crown, the Valkyries now turn attention to building on a title defence as the league's next season approaches.