The WNBA’s Valkyries exhilarating second season saw them make the playoffs for the second year in a row and advance to the semifinals for the first time in team history. At the 5Cs, the numerous Valkyries fans have been feeding off that energy.
“During our first playoff game, I saw people wearing Valkyries shirts,” Emely Pereira PO ’30 said. “I got super excited, so excited that I went back to my dorm and changed into one of my Valkyries shirts.”
At the 5Cs, wearing Valkyries merch, especially in the Valkyries’ signature violet, has become a signal of Bay Area identity, an expression of support for women’s sports and an invitation to form a community 400 miles from Ballhala. Forty percent of the 5C student body is from California, providing a strong base for Valks fans in Claremont.
“Having that connection with someone, specifically, having a connection that comes from the WNBA, means you can easily translate your shared love of the sport into a friendship,” Pereira said.
The Valkyries are a testament to the WNBA’s growing popularity. In their inaugural 2025 season, the team won Coach of the Year and Most Improved Player. This year, in their second season, they became the No. 2 seed with a 32-12 record, just behind the Minnesota Lynx, who went 33-11. In just two years, they have become the highest-valued women’s team of any sport.
“The Valkyries are the best team, with the best players and the best fan culture, and what they’ve done in the two years as a part of this league is incredible,” Amelia Tantamang HM ’30 said. “They are a great example of what happens if you put resources into expanding women’s sports.”
For Bay Area students, the Valkyries’ outstanding success represents a new wave of athletic spirit and support for women’s teams. Since the WNBA expansion that led to the creation of the Valkyries in 2025, the Bay Area has seen an eruption of women’s sports teams: expansions of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, Major League Volleyball, League One Volleyball, Women’s National Football Conference and Women’s Professional Baseball League are all set to launch in the Bay Area in the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
“I’d always wanted to watch the W more, but I couldn’t because games don’t air enough, whereas men’s basketball is always being aired,” Rini Golani HM ’30 said. “But then the Valkyries were founded, the W started airing all their games locally, and I could watch. They’ve been such a successful team in just two seasons; it feels like Bay Area magic.”
By numbers alone, the Valkyries’ fan base is one of the strongest in the WNBA. For both of their first two seasons (2025 and 2026), the Valkyries sold out every home game at Chase Center. This year, they set a new WNBA benchmark by securing over 12,000 season ticket holders, with a season ticket renewal rate exceeding 90% for the 2027 season.
“Obviously, I love the sport itself, but being in that stadium, with everyone screaming and cheering for the Valkyries, makes going to a game feel like more than just watching basketball,” Pereira said. “It’s definitely my plan to get to a WNBA game over break. I need to go back. I need to feel that culture again.”
As the Valkyries move into Game 3 of the semifinals hosted by the Las Vegas Aces this Friday, the team will need to bring their home-court energy. The Valks are currently up 2-0 against the Aces, and a win in Game 3 would guarantee a spot in the finals. The game can be watched on NBCSN and Peacock, and fans around campus have a message for anyone who hasn’t tuned in yet.
“Sports in general are one of the industries where women don’t get enough credit for what they’re doing,” Goliani said. “Women’s basketball is just as flashy, just as exciting and just as skillful. Watch it, and maybe you don’t understand basketball, and that’s fine, but you’re staying to encourage women’s growth in the industry.”
For students, supporting women’s basketball extends beyond the Valks’ outstanding season into the WNBA as a whole.
“The WNBA’s popularity has been on the rise, and there are a lot of really exciting players on the Valkyries and on other teams too,” Matthew Cheong, PO ‘27, said. “Whether or not you become a Valkyries fan, just become a fan of the WNBA.”