Joe Lacob and Peter Guber’s Valkyries Reach the WNBA Finals
Joe Lacob and Peter Guber’s Golden State Valkyries are in the WNBA Finals for the first time, taking on the Atlanta Dream in a series that returns to Chase Center in San Francisco on Oct. 26. The team has also developed quite a following online, with more than 378,000 followers on Instagram and 58,000 on X when this story was first reported on Oct. 19.
The team has achieved an estimated valuation of $850 million, following a sold-out debut at Chase Center and widespread ticket demand. Sportico’s May estimates put the New York Liberty at $600 million, the Indiana Fever at $560 million, the Seattle Storm at $425 million and the Phoenix Mercury at $420 million. Those valuations are estimates, not new investment received by the teams.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Valkyries’ estimated valuation has grown by $350 million since their inaugural year in 2025. Lacob and Guber, who bought the Warriors for $450 million in 2010, went on to pay a reported $50 million expansion fee for the WNBA franchise awarded in October 2023. The expansion fee did not include all the costs of building and operating the team.
The Valkyries’ 67–62 win in Atlanta on Oct. 24 tied the best-of-seven Finals at two games apiece, with Game 5 at Chase Center on Oct. 26. Golden State opened the series with a 68–64 win. Forward Gabby Williams was instrumental in that victory with 26 points, including four late free throws.
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase has been credited for helping to drive the team’s success, from picking apart film for hours at a time, to texting staff at 4 a.m., to creating playlists that range from songs by Rihanna and Taylor Swift to war music.
Earlier this year, the Valkyries announced that season tickets for the 2026 season were officially sold out, surpassing 12,000 season ticket holders. The team also added that the Valkyries sold out every home game at Chase Center, during its inaugural 2025 season, setting WNBA records at the time with an average attendance of 18,064 and 397,408 fans in total.
The team hasn’t just broken WNBA attendance records. Sportico reported that annual revenue had reached $100 million, with a Finals run projected to lift the figure to $130 million. The projection is not a reported result, and revenue is not profit. The team has established sponsorship deals with more than 40 brands. President Jess Smith, former head of revenue for Angel City FC of the National Women’s Soccer League, has been praised for helping support its commercial success, organizing its business approach around existing women’s sports fans, “bright believers” who care about local community, and traditional Bay Area sports fans.
