The Golden State Valkyries have set new all-time attendance records in the WNBA during their inaugural season. The expansion team drew an average of 18,064 fans per game at the Chase Center and finished with a total of 397,408 attendees across 22 home games.
Those figures surpassed the records set earlier this year by the Indiana Fever, who recorded 349,313 total fans and an average of 17,036 per game.
The team played its final regular-season home game on Saturday, September 6. They will finish their schedule with two road games against the Seattle Storm and Minnesota Lynx.
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Head coach Natalie Nakase credited fan support as a key factor in the team’s strong debut.
“We have the best crowd, and I think we have the best fans in the league, hands down,” Nakase said in an interview with The Mercury News.
In addition to setting attendance records, the Valkyries made history as the first expansion franchise to reach the WNBA playoffs in its debut season. Their success comes during a period of significant growth for the league, which has reported a 21% rise in attendance and viewership compared to the 2024 season.
Notably, the WNBA is preparing for further expansion. Earlier this year, the league confirmed plans to grow to 18 teams, with new franchises slated for Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. Cleveland will join in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030.
