There are a few WNBA arenas that teams simply don’t want to play in. Chase Center, which becomes Ballhalla and one of the loudest arenas in the league when the Valkyries play, is certainly one of them. The Valkyries sold out every home game this season, receiving unwavering support from the fans in the Bay Area.
With over 18,000 fans in attendance every time the Valkyries take the court at home, Chase Center is known to get incredibly loud. The support of their fans can fuel the Valkyries and coax various heroics out of the players. Golden State is 13-7 at home and 9-11 on the road. The Valkyries are difficult to beat at home, which is another reason why teams shouldn’t want to play at Chase Center in the playoffs.
They won’t have to this year. While the Valkyries clinched a playoff spot and will get to host the second game of their first-round series at home, the game won’t take place at Chase Center. Due to a scheduling conflict, the Valkyries will have to play at SAP Center in San Jose. The Laver Cup, an international tennis tournament, will take place at Chase Center when the playoffs start. This tournament has been scheduled since 2023–before anyone knew that the Valkyries would play in the Bay Area.
The Valkyries’ first playoff appearance will still be special
The Valkyries are the first expansion team to clinch a playoff spot in its inaugural season—a feat that undoubtedly boosts Natalie Nakase’s Coach of the Year case. That alone will make the team’s first trip to the postseason special, even if it won’t be able to play in its actual home arena. SAP Center can fit a similar number of fans and is relatively close to where the Valkyries usually play, though.
Now that the team has achieved its goal of making the playoffs, expect every Valkyries player to leave everything on the court during the first round—even if it is in a different arena. As the lower seed, the Valkyries will enter their first-ever playoffs as underdogs, and they will undoubtedly fight to prove that they belong. With how the standings look at the moment, the Valkyries will likely face either Las Vegas or Atlanta in the first round. Both are difficult matchups, but the Valkries beat both earlier in the season.
The Valkyries won a close game to secure a playoff spot
Thanks to the Dream’s victory over the Sparks, all the Valkyries needed to clinch a playoff spot was a win against the injury-plagued Wings. Paige Bueckers, Haley Jones, and the rest of the Wings did everything in their power to make things as difficult as possible for the Valkyries.
The game was close until the last moment, but the Valkyries eventually got the 84-80 win. Golden State’s young core of Janelle Salaün, Veronica Burton, Carla Leite, and Iliana Rupert carried the team, combining for 59 of the Valkyries’ 84 points and 15 of the team’s 22 assists. Veteran Monique Billings also played a huge role with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. Kate Martin provided a nice scoring punch off the bench with two made 3-pointers.