Golden State Valkyries owner Joe Lacob didn’t mask his ambitions for his new team. He wants the Valkyries to win a championship in the next five years. That may seem like a lofty goal for an expansion team lacking an MVP-caliber player. In reality, it may not be that far-fetched, though.
The Valkyries have already proven this season that they can win and compete with the best teams in the league. Golden State also ranked very high in The Athletic’s latest future franchise rankings.
The Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman evaluated the potential of all current franchises (not counting Toronto and Portland) over the next five seasons by looking at market size, front office/ ownership, players, draft capital, and facilities/ amenities. The Indiana Fever finished first, catapulted to the top by the duo of Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.
The Valkyries finished second, ahead of powerhouses New York and Minnesota and teams with top-end young talent like Washington and Dallas.
Off-the-court factors boosted the Valkyries’ ranking
The Valkyries ranked seventh in the player category. Indiana, Los Angeles, Washington, Dallas, Chicago, and Atlanta all ranked ahead of Golden State. The Valkyries have some interesting young talent—mainly Janelle Salaün, Veronica Burton, Carla Leite, Kate Martin, and Iliana Rupert—but none of those players look like future MVP candidates yet. Other than that, the Valkyries’ roster is currently largely made up of veteran role players who have been able to fill bigger roles.
However, the Valkyries’ roster likely won’t look like that for much longer. The Valkyries ranked third in the front office/ownership category. While the team is still young, the front office has shown the ability to build a cohesive roster, and the ownership isn’t afraid to invest in the team. Golden State also ranked second in market size and fourth in facilities/amenities behind Phoenix, Seattle, and Las Vegas.
All of those factors will help the Valkyries attract top talent in the future. The Valkyries have already set several attendance records and look like a very profitable franchise. Pairing that with a coach who established a winning culture and owners willing to put money into the team should make San Francisco one of the most popular player destinations soon.
If that is the case, the Valkyries should be able to build a star-studded championship contender sooner rather than later.
The Valkyries set a new standard for WNBA expansion
The Valkyries were the first WNBA expansion team since 2008. Halfway through their first season, they have already set a new standard for expansion teams. New teams are rarely as successful as the Valkyries, but smart team building, a willingness to invest, and genius branding made the franchise an immediate success.
A string of new teams will soon follow the Valkyries. They can learn plenty from the team’s success.