Getty San Francisco.
San Francisco, California’s new WNBA team has unveiled its new name: The Golden State Valkyries, a term from Norse mythology. The logo is purple.
The team announced its new name and logo on May 14 in a video with a caption that read, “Our ascent.” A WNBA press release says the team’s primary color is “Valkyrie Violet, which symbolizes power, ambition, nobility, and women’s empowerment, much like purple has been used symbolically in modern history.”
The fan reaction in the comment thread was mixed. “That is a horrible name ugh…” wrote one fan. But the comment right under it read, “Oh i like it alot!! Yesss!”
“The Golden State WNBA team calling themselves the Valkyries, when the NBA team in the same city is called the Warriors, is pretty bad a**,” a fan wrote on X.
A lot of fans liked the violet color. “valkyries bout to get fans with their color alone 😭😭 purple lovers dont play,” wrote one.
Not everyone was as thrilled. “Love the Valkyries name. Good choice. Another purple team in California though feels like a waste of a color wheel,” another wrote.
“The Golden State Valkyries unveiled the team’s brand identity, it was announced today. Originating from Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike. This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce,” the May 14 press release says.
“It feels like we’ve arrived,” Valkyries president Jess Smith told ESPN. “As much as I’ve loved saying ‘WNBA Golden State,’ that was a placeholder, and this is who we are. To be able to put that stake in the ground and begin building the brand equity and begin bringing our community together around this, it’s a really special moment.”
A Marketing Official Says the Golden State Valkyrie Landed in a ‘Warriors-Inspired Space’
Join our ascent.
The Golden State Valkyries X page had more than 16,000 followers in just a few hours.
“We’re from a Bay, gilded in gold,” the video says as it pans across San Francisco. “This is where legends take flight. But our story has yet to be written.”
“And then for the team name, we looked at a variety of different options. We landed in sort of like the warriors-inspired space. And so for anyone who doesn’t know, a Valkyrie is a woman warrior. A host of women warriors who were responsible for granting an honorable afterlife for the bravest warriors,” the Golden State Warriors SVP of Marketing, Amanda Chin, said in a video posted to the team’s X page.
@wnbagoldenstate With a pretentious nickname like that, what’s your mascot going to be? Rick Wakeman?
According to Britannica, “Valkyrie, in Norse mythology,” are “any of a group of maidens who served the god Odin and were sent by him to the battlefields to choose the slain who were worthy of a place in Valhalla. These foreboders of war rode to the battlefield on horses, wearing helmets and shields; in some accounts, they flew through the air and sea.”
Last October, SFGate pitched a number of other names for the team. They included The Seals, The Fog, The Painted Ladies, The Riveters, and The Lasers.
According to the WNBA’s press release, “The franchise, which marks the first WNBA expansion team since 2008, will begin play in the 2025 WNBA season at Chase Center. The Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate team of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, have already surpassed 7,500 season ticket deposits for the team’s inaugural season.”
The press release explains, “The outer shape of the logo is a V, reinforcing the V in Valkyries, which symbolizes the unity of a group of Valkyries in flight, and standing for victory.”
Some Fans Felt the Name Should Have Had More of a Connection to the Bay Area
.@warriors SVP of Marketing shares some background on the team name at @UnSportsESPN
The team has a website.
“The WNBA is coming to the Bay Area with the Golden State Valkyries’ inaugural season tipping off in May 2025,” it says.
Fans responded positively to the new name in the comment thread of the team’s video. “I thought this was a trailer for a new video game. This is lit af 🔥” wrote one.
Another person wrote, “I don’t understand the Viking/Norse connection to the bay 🤔 I guess the focus is more on beautiful warriors.” But a person responded in that thread, “They are female warriors. Makes sense.”
But not everyone liked it. “I don’t think there is a connection (which is strange). This reeks of marketing firm concept,” responded another person.
@wnbagoldenstate Appropriating Viking culture.
Another fan wrote, “Why select a Norse name when you had the Rosies right here? (or Riveters) Very weird choice.”
“The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise on October 5, 2023. Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team will be headquartered in Oakland and play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco,” the press release says.