About every person in the Bay Area – basketball fans or not – is familiar with the Golden State Warriors, as stars like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have become household names over the last decade. The consistently star-studded roster has won four championships since 2015, earning the team worldwide recognition in the industry of sports and general entertainment.
The organization has seen major success in both the win category as well as in revenue. As of 2023, the Dubs maintain a $7.7 billion worth, giving them the highest estimated valuation within the entire league. As the team made a move in 2019 from Oracle Arena in Oakland to the newly built $1 billion Chase Center in San Francisco, their influence and revenue continued to grow, sprouting a new opportunity for sports in the Bay Area.
With a dynamic year for sports nearing an end, a new source of excitement appeared: the arrival of the WNBA to the Bay Area.
In October, the commissioner of the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) announced that there will be a new expansion franchise based in San Francisco: The Golden State Seals.
The team is set to begin play in the 2025 season, as the owners surrounding the team are ready to take action. “The Bay Area is the perfect market for a WNBA team, and we are thrilled this opportunity has finally come to fruition,” said Warriors Co-Executive Chairman and CEO Joe Lacob, in a public news release at the time of the announcement.
The WNBA formed in 1996 and currently has 12 teams. This is a monumental addition for the WNBA, as this will be the first expansion team in the women’s professional league since 2008, and will increase the influence of the WNBA in the west coast. As proposed, the team will play home games at Chase Center, giving Warriors fans an accessible opportunity to attend games.
As the Warriors are only the sixth NBA franchise to own a WNBA team, the organization is excited to promote and display the new talent to a city that traditionally loves basketball. The Commissioner clearly views the move as a large opportunity for the league, stating, “We are thrilled about expanding to the Bay Area and bringing the WNBA to a region with passionate basketball fans and a strong history of supporting women’s basketball.”
With a bright future in the Golden State basketball scene, the city that has appreciated this sport since the 1962 when the Warriors moved from Philadelphia will see the beginning of a new chapter, right here, in the Bay.
