(NEW YORK) — The newest member of the WNBA is unveiling their look and name.
The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s first expansion team since 2008 when the league added the Atlanta Dream, revealed their new brand identity on ABC News’ Good Morning America Tuesday morning.
The team’s name comes from Norse mythology and refers to “the warrior women who are fearless and unwavering” and known as the Valkyries, according to a release from the team. The team will see their first game action in 2025 at the Chase Center in San Francisco and is the affiliate team of the Golden State Warriors.
“This moment is so much bigger than Golden State. It’s so much bigger than the Valkyries,” Valkyries President Jess Smith told GMA. “What we are seeing happening in women’s sports right now is just the beginning of the sustainability and incredible growth around the game and to have expansion in the W[NBA].”
“And for us, to be able to do that through the Bay Area, it means something really special,” Smith continued. “When you think of the Bay Area, you think of the region that leads the world in being innovative and progressive at the same time. And we think about what’s happening in women’s sports and being able to marry those together, it’s going to be really powerful. This ownership group likes to win in everything they do but with intention and that’s how we’re going to build the Valkyries and build this brand.”
The new brand will focus on joining the logo with the team name.
“The outer shape of the logo is a V, reinforcing the V in Valkyries while symbolizing the unity of a group of Valkyries in flight,” read the release.
Prevalent in the branding is the Bay Bridge, the bridge that connects Oakland and San Francisco, depicting the connection between the city that hosts the team’s practice facility and front offices and the city that hosts the Chase Center. The tower of the bridge is shaped like a sword, a common detail found in Valkyries lore, representing “courage, power and authority” according to the release.
The bridge cables form five triangles on either side of the bridge, which symbolize five players on each team facing off against each other on a basketball court. Radiating from the top of the design are 13 lines, which represents the Valkyries becoming the 13th WNBA team.
The team color is Valkyrie Violet.
“Valkyrie Violet symbolizes power, ambition, nobility, and women’s empowerment, much like purple has been used symbolically in modern history,” reads the release.
Merchandise from the team is now available at shop.valkyries.com.
A celebration of the new WNBA team, called the Valkyries Block Party, is scheduled to take place Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Chase Center’s Thrive City and will feature appearances and performances from artists with connections to the Bay Area, including E-40, Goapele, Kehlani, Khyenci, Mayzin and P-Lo.
Last year, the WNBA announced it would add a 13th team to be the Golden State Warriors’ affiliate franchise.
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