Jodi Power, a stilt walker with Sandra and Friends, performs outside Chase Center on Friday before the Valkyries played the Atlanta Dream during Pride Night.
An arch of Pride-themed balloons lined the entrance to Thrive City on Friday night. There were stilt walkers in rainbow skirts, a glitter hair braiding station and live performances from drag kings and drag queens. Young children lined the right side of the plaza to play Pop-A-Shot basketball.
Inside Chase Center, there was an extensive collection of Pride merchandise carefully curated and designed by local brands like Oaklandish and Peau de Loup, a queer-owned company that creates gender-neutral clothing items.
All 18,064 fans on hand for the Golden State Valkyries-Atlanta Dream game received a Pride-themed Valkyries drawstring. The stadium floor vibrated during a halftime performance by DJ LadyRyan and DJ Dyop.
Article continues below this ad
Two weeks earlier at Oracle Park, it was easy to forget the Giants were even hosting a Pride game until three pitchers wrote Bible verses on their caps.
The Valkyries, who hosted their second annual Pride Night, weren’t going to let fans leave with that same bitter taste.
Make us a Preferred Source to get more of our news when you search.
Add Preferred Source
Instead, they gave the Bay Area a packed night of unbridled joy, showing what a celebration of Pride in the Bay Area is supposed to look like.
“We take a lot of pride in, no matter who you are and why you showed up today, that you feel like you belong here,” Valkyries president Jess Smith told the Chronicle.
Article continues below this ad
The Valkyries’ first Pride Night in 2025 was a massive success. Smith, who helped Golden State become the first WNBA franchise to reach a $1 billion valuation, recalled her Aunt Lisa getting emotional at last year’s event. Always a massive sports fan, she had never felt seen as a gay woman supporting teams that didn’t look like her.
When the Valkyries were birthed, Aunt Lisa immediately jumped into fandom. For the first time, she felt not only safe, but celebrated — and Pride Night was a moment where it all clicked. Smith carries that moment with her when she plans out nights like Friday’s.
“We’re always focused on creating those inclusive environments and making it celebratory and fun and joyful,” Smith said. “That’s been our intent from the minute that we started planning this.”
The Valkyries have gone to great lengths to make sure everyone feels included. The fans have returned the favor with 34 straight sellouts. Andrea Fernandes, Golden State’s vice president of marketing, said the thing she finds most unique about the Valkyries fan base is how consistently they show up.
“Every night is really like Pride Night, in my opinion,” she said. “It’s a safe, inclusive space, and people really feel comfortable to bring their true selves every single night. … I think that shows why we continue to have sellout games night after night, because people want to be there.”
Article continues below this ad
The celebration of Pride isn’t just at Chase Center, though. The Valkyries are a sponsor of the 50th San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, the longest-running queer film festival worldwide. They participated in the Sacramento Pride Festival and March on June 14. They’ll partake in Sunday’s San Francisco Pride Parade, Oakland’s parade on Aug. 16 and the Silicon Valley Pride Parade and Festival on Aug. 30.
The Valkyries, from the top down, aim to represent the city they play for. They lean into their diverse fanbase, made up of people from many different walks of life, presenting a stark contrast from the franchise that has largely chosen to stay silent.
In an on-court interview after the Valkyries beat the Dream 78-75, Gabby Williams told fans that she couldn’t lose on Pride Night. The crowd exploded. Asked in the postgame news conference why she said that, Williams and Kiah Stokes giddily shouted: “We’re gays!”
“There’s something special about being able to be your true self,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said. “What’s really cool here with Golden State, in the Bay, is that we’re here really to change hearts and minds about being inclusive. It really is a celebration in Ballhalla, and I think for everyone who’s been here, you could feel that, and we’re proud of that.”