The Golden State Valkyries will hold Pride Night on Friday at Chase Center, and the event lands inside a franchise identity built around LGBTQ+ inclusion before the team played its first game. For a new WNBA team, the point is not just a themed night; it is a public marker of what the Valkyries want their game nights to feel like.
Nakase on inclusivity
Natalie Nakase said, “We’re all about inclusivity and I love it.” She also said, “I love the fact that people can feel their authentic self here, and we welcome everyone.”
That approach has shown up beyond basketball. The Valkyries have held themed nights for pride and other programming, and they have hosted drag performances at halftime. The franchise has used those pieces to make the building part of the message, not just the court.
ValQueeries and Chase Center
Last year, a grassroots LGBTQ fan group called the ValQueeries formed and began organizing watch parties, meetups and community events. Megan Doherty-Baker, a co-founder of the group, said this month that “[The Valkyries] know we exist, so that feels pretty special for us when we realize, ‘They’re very much on our radar, and we’re on theirs,’” which puts a name and a network behind the crowd that has grown around the team.
Gabby Williams pointed to the visible change in the arena, saying, “Just to see how far we’ve come, having a night like this where the kiss cam can be two women or two men.” She added, “Just seeing how open and normal it is here,” and, “It is like a really warm feeling that people could just be themselves unapologetically.”
Bay Area roots
The Valkyries have leaned into a WNBA culture where LGBTQ+ athletes have long been embraced, and the Bay Area’s history and activism give that choice extra weight. Williams referenced Black Panthers and Harvey Milk as part of that backdrop, while Nakase said, “Sometimes when I get a peek, I’ll look around in Ballhalla and I just see all the love.”
The practical next step is simple: Friday’s Pride Night at Chase Center turns that identity into the night’s main event, with the ValQueeries already part of the team’s orbit. The unanswered piece is what specific Pride Night activities the Valkyries will feature, but the team has already made the larger point by putting inclusion at the center of the evening.
