The Golden State Valkyries are worth $1 billion according to Sportico's 2026 franchise valuations, making them the WNBA's first ten-figure team fifteen months after their inaugural tip-off. The league-wide average sits at $427 million, up 59% from 2025.
Sportico derived values using revenue multiples and comparable-transaction methodology, the same framework that pegged the Las Vegas Aces at $880 million and the New York Liberty at $850 million. The Valkyries' premium reflects Chase Center access, a $50 million expansion fee paid in 2024, and sponsorship inventory priced against Warriors NBA comps. The team plays secondary dates in an 18,064-seat building that averaged 97% capacity during their debut season.
The 59% one-year jump in average valuation tracks with two structural shifts. First, the WNBA's new media deal delivers $2.2 billion over eleven years starting in 2026, tripling per-team distributions from roughly $1.5 million to $5 million annually. Second, expansion fees reset the market: the Valkyries paid $50 million in 2024, Portland's 2026 entry cost $125 million, and the league is fielding inquiries for team sixteen at a $150 million ask. Legacy owners who bought in at $10 million to $15 million pre-2020 now hold assets marked eight to twelve times higher.
The Valkyries' valuation also signals a venue-leverage model distinct from standalone WNBA facilities. Golden State shares Chase Center operations with an NBA franchise worth $8.28 billion, allowing the Valkyries to monetize premium seating, club access, and local broadcast windows without bearing full building overhead. Compare that to teams in 5,000-seat college gyms where ticket inventory caps revenue before the playoff run even starts. The Liberty, valued at $850 million, play in Barclays Center under a similar arrangement with the Nets' ownership group.
Sponsor activity supports the pricing. The Valkyries announced twelve founding partners before their first game, including Rakuten, Google Cloud, and Kaiser Permanente, most on multi-year terms. League-wide, WNBA sponsorship revenue grew an estimated 40% in 2025, with categories like sportswear, financial services, and automotive entering after sitting out the prior cycle. Golden State's proximity to venture and tech capital means the team can sell naming rights, courtside tables, and suite packages to allocators already writing checks in adjacent categories.
What to watch: Portland's expansion team tips off in May 2027, and its first-year revenue will set the comp for team sixteen, expected to be awarded by September. The Valkyries' local TV deal with NBC Sports Bay Area expires after the 2027 season, and a renewal north of $8 million annually would push the franchise valuation past $1.2 billion on Sportico's model. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said the league will announce team sixteen's market by the All-Star break, with Toronto, Philadelphia, and South Florida in the mix. Expansion fee guidance is $150 million, but a competitive bid process could clear $175 million if the market includes an NBA owner or a private-equity group already holding MLS or NWSL assets.
The Valkyries play the Aces in the season opener May 15. Chase Center is sold out.
The takeaway
WNBA's first billion-dollar team after one season validates venue-leverage model and resets expansion pricing above $150 million.
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