The Valkyries have yet to play their first season in the WNBA, but Blonde Shape Warriors maestro Steve Kerr is already feeling pretty good about women’s basketball day in the Bay Area.
“I think the Valkyries are going to be an iconic WNBA franchise soon,” said Kerr, who has won four NBA championships with the Warriors. “They’re building something really powerful. They just need some players now.”
The group recently presented the hiring Natalie Nakase as its first school principal. She spent the last three seasons with the Las Vegas Aces as a colleague of Becky Hammon, and that was a very successful season since the Aces earned the WNBA call-up in 2022 and 2023.
Kerr spoke a lot about Nakase’s popularity and said he liked what the franchise has going for it even though it doesn’t have a roster yet.
“I think I found myself [Nakase] when she was with the Clippers years ago, so I don’t know her well, but I’ve heard great things. It’s exciting,” Kerr said. “It has a great reputation and [it is] It’s pretty impressive what the Valkyries are putting together without even having players yet. The brand is really cool, the colors, the name, the people who come.”
Kerr also shared that she feels good about Ohemaa Nyanin being named Valkyries General Overseer.
“Ohemaa is a star. She’s an incredible person,” Kerr said. “I’ve gotten to know her a little bit behind the scenes. She’s building her group, obviously, so there are a lot of awesome people.”
It’s clear that the honor between the Valkyries and Warriors group is mutual, as Nakase shared his wish that Kerr told him during his introductory press conference last month.
“I’d be a fool not to pick his brain,” Nakase said. “I’d love to pick his brain and maybe just sit in practice and see how different coaches teach, because it’s not just about what you know. It’s about how to get your players buy-in and what that communication looks like. So, I’m very excited.
“And again, with the legacy of victories and championships, that’s the place I want to be. This is a park where I’ve always strived to be, because I’ve always sought to be the most efficient.”
The WNBA currently has 12 teams, but is seeking to expand to 16 by 2028. The Valkyries will become the 13th team next month, making them the first team the WNBA has set since the Atlanta Dream in 2008. to begin combining a roster on December 6 with the growth draft.
There will be teams in Portland and Toronto joining in 2026, meaning the WNBA only needs one more team to reach its goal of 16.
