Fans were allowed in at 5:30, and Brie Reddick of San Bruno, adorned in her own Valkyries T-shirt, was among the first to absorb the scene and has been waiting for a Bay Area franchise since the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA folded following the 2009 season after playing two years.

For the first time since 2008, the WNBA has welcomed an expansion team to the league. The 2025 season will mark the first time a WNBA team can call the Bay Area its home with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries.