This season is marking several transformations of the WNBA. From the teams getting private charters to bigger endorsement deals coming to the league, things are rapidly changing. One evolutionary step that Cathy Engelbert of the W has also taken is the league’s expansion. With a word to add four more teams to the current 12, the women’s professional basketball league will attract more views and hence more profits. Consequently, after announcing a non-US team based in Toronto, a team for San Francisco is also on its way.

Twinning the Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors, the WNBA has announced the formation of the Golden State Valkyries. Taking it to their brand new X account, the Valkyries posted their inauguration video. They captioned the tweet saying, “Join our ascent.” The Bay Area team will kick off its first-ever season in May 2025 next season. They will be the first team in the WNBA expansion since the year 2008.

The team’s name was revealed in Good Morning America with Robin Roberts and Jess Smith present. Smith said, “To have expansion in the W and for us to be able to do that through the Bay Area, it means something really special. When you think of the Bay Area, you think of the region that needs the world to be innovative and progressive at the same time. And when we think about what’s happening to women’s sports and being able to marry those together, it’s gonna be really powerful.”

The team has already started selling its tickets for the first season in 2025. Their official website also has gear. This includes a Nike Global Logo Pullover Hoodie, and Logo T-shirts in Black and White. The staff will consist of Omhemaa Nyanin as the General Manager and Jess Smith as the Team President. Headquartered in Oakland, the Valkyries will be sharing the home arena with the Warriors at Chase Center.

But the Valkyries is not the lone new team so far. In fact, the huge success in the second Canada game also brought a team to their country.

What is the WNBA’s next expansion team?

Announcing its fourteenth team, the WNBA added a name outside of the US. In fact, the previous two Canada games have gotten such great views that Toronto, Ontario is also getting a WNBA team. They will begin playing in 2026. Canadian billionaire Larry Tanenbaum will own the team via Kilmer Sports Inc. According to various sources, the team whose name has not been decided yet will be playing in the Coca-Cola Coliseum, in Ontario. The arena in Exhibition Place can hold up to 8,500 fans at a time.

It is no denying that the future of the WNBA is rather bright. It will be interesting to see how these new teams make their place between the original teams like the Phoenix Mercury and the young but incredibly successful teams like the Las Vegas Aces. Definitely, the women’s professional basketball league is on the rise, and it all begins this year.