No other team in North American sports has ever done what the Golden State Valkyries have done. They have become the fastest expansion team to win their franchise’s first title. After the title win, owner Joe Lacob’s three-year-old promise of winning the title in the first five years blew up on the internet. Back then, Caitlin Clark couldn’t help but admire the owner’s confidence. But struck by her own reality, the Indiana Fever star is not sure she holds the same feeling anymore.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“I remember their owner; he literally said on stage, like, ‘We’re gonna win a championship in five years or less,’” Clark told Kylie Kelce on the Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce podcast. “I was like, ‘I love that.’ And here we are, two years later. I’m like, ‘Well, do I love that? Because I’m not playing, but they are.’ But that’s still awesome. Good for them. But no, it’s been cool.”
When Lacob made the statement in October 2023 while introducing the expansion team that was without a name, Clark was still in college, waiting to start her senior season.
“First (news) conference with the (Golden State) Warriors, I said we will win a championship in the first five years,” Lacob said then. “I’m telling you right now we will win a WNBA championship in the first five years of this franchise.”
The Valkyries delivered within two years. What the resilient Golden State team was able to achieve was “insane” even for their owner. It was a culmination of good decision-making in ownership, front office, and, of course, the high-quality game from the Valkyries throughout this season. Head coach Natalie Nakase later revealed that she had even a shorter window than Lacob to lead her to the championship.
“What the Golden State’s been able to do in such a short period of time. Two years, and to be playing in the Finals. That’s a win in itself. Not many expansion teams can have those sorts of expectations,” Clark added.
The Valkyries broke the previous record for the fastest championship by an expansion team. The Milwaukee Bucks had done it in three years. They swept Baltimore in the Finals to win their first title in 1971. In the WNBA, the Seattle Storm held the previous record. They had done it in five years (2004).
The Valkyries played their first season without a star, with drafted players from the expansion draft. Even in the second season, they didn’t have a certified star on the roster. They won because the championship culture was set from their first season. Unlike the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo, which failed to qualify for the playoffs, the Valkyries qualified for the postseason. The winning culture was present in Ballhalla when they played their first-ever game.
Given the kind of competitor that Clark is, it has got to sting. She can love that confidence from Lacob and Nakase, but it’s also hard for her to turn away from the facts that stand out in Indiana. She has played more seasons in Indiana than the Valkyries have played as a franchise, and yet she is still looking for her first title, or even worse, her first Finals appearance.
Moreover, Angel Reese playing in the Finals resets light in the Fever star. With her arch-nemesis already having played her first Finals and declaring that she will be back at it again, Indiana’s next season will be crucial, with a bigger focus on their star. It will also tell if the Fever can convince Clark to stay.
Indiana has shown its willingness to bring bigger change with its front office moves. But the reality remains the same: if they don’t put elite players around Caitlin Clark, they can just dream about the title. The Fever fired GM Amber Cox shortly after team president Kelly Krauskopf stepped down from her position.