The newest expansion franchise in the Women’s National Basketball Association now has a name and logo as they get ready to take the court in 2025.
The Golden State Valkyries unveiled their name and logo on “Good Morning America” on Tuesday, May 14. The name references the warrior women from Norse mythology “who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike,” according to WNBA.com. “This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce.”
The logo is a depiction of the Bay Bridge between San Francisco and Oakland, which “the team’s presence across the Bay, but specifically the tie between the team’s homes in both Oakland, where the team’s practice facility and front office is located, and in San Francisco’s Chase Center, where the team will play all home games.”
The bridge tower — which is also in the shape of a sword — is contained within a V shape, symbolizing the Valkyries name and the “unity of a group of Valkyries in flight. The bridge cables around the tower also form wings, with the five triangles in each wing represents the five players each team has on a basketball court at one time.
The team’s colors are black and a shade of light purple they’re calling Valkyrie Violet. “Valkyrie Violet symbolizes power, ambition, nobility, and women’s empowerment, much like purple has been used symbolically in modern history,” the team says.
“The story of the Golden State Valkyries begins now. And what better way than to be surrounded and supported by Bay Area legends as we take our rightful place in the WNBA and beyond. This is the Bay’s time to show what’s possible with the best fans in the world.”
— Valkyries president Jess Smith
The Valkyries are an affiliate of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and have the same ownership group. The WNBA team’s brand was developed by creative partner Cartwright and led by Warriors senior vice president of marketing Amanda Chin. The process of developing the name and identity began right after the expansion team was announced in October 2023.
“Communities own sports teams, so it’s only fitting that as we embarked on the brand identity development process, we really listened to the fans and selected a name that they wanted,” Chin said. “Through surveys and social media, the name that continued to come up the most, by far, was Valkyries. Once we completed a rigorous process to examine and approve the name, we worked around the clock to build the supporting brand elements that our players and fans alike would be proud to represent.”
The Golden State Valkyries will be the WNBA’s 13th franchise when they take the court for the first time in 2025. The team has already surpassed 7,500 season ticket deposits for its inaugural season.
Reports last week indicated a 14th team would be announced for Toronto later this month, to begin play in 2026.
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