Golden State's WNBA team unveils Valkyries branding… What the hell is a Valkyrie?

Nick Pedone|published: Wed 15th May, 09:54 2024

Oct 5, 2023; San Francisco, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors co-executive director & chief executive officer Joe Lacob, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and Warriors co-executive director Peter Guber pose for a group photo during a press conference to announce an expansion WNBA franchise in the San Francisco Bay Area at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

The WNBA is expanding, which, of course, is outstanding news.

Caitlin Clark’s pro debut is in the books, and women’s professional basketball officially has new life. So much life, that they have decided to expand into new markets. Toronto will receive a WNBA team in 2026, while Golden State will tip off next season.

With such a quick turnaround, the Golden State Valkyries already unveiled their new branding. The logo and other marketing material made rounds on social media and I even scrolled by Steve Kerr rocking some Valkyries merch.

Paige Bueckers, who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, publicly shared her approval of the gear, too.

All of this support and hype online led me to the question that I pose to you today. What the hell is a Valkyrie?

Maybe I am not up to speed on my Norse mythology, but a quick Google search explains that a Valkyrie is a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin’s hall Valhalla.

That… doesn’t make much sense to me at all.

A basketball team of female figures? Absolutely. But guiding the souls of the dead is where this team name starts to lose me a little bit.

“Valkyrie" is also the title of a 2008 Tom Cruise movie that received a 65 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The defunct Minnesota Valkyries were a team in the Lingerie Football League. They folded in 2013.

The best part? The Golden State Valkyries will wear powdered purple. Powdered purple is great. It feels a little weird that Golden State’s basketball team won’t be wearing, well, gold, but the logo is sweet.

All jokes aside, a Valkyrie is practically just a mythical female warrior, which does fit in perfectly with their NBA counterpart Golden State Warriors.

It’s probable that the Valkyries will officially launch next season with immense hype. The branding is cool. The name is cool even though I don’t fully get it. Bueckers is a superstar and was once the most promising, rising star in women’s hoops. The Bay Area loves their basketball.

The Valkyries are going to be a hit, regardless of how much their name confused me.

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