Two years ago, the Golden State Valkyries had never played a game. Today, they are one win away from a WNBA title, and fans are packing the building to be part of it. But the biggest number around this team is not on a scoreboard or a ticket. It is a figure that puts a second-year franchise ahead of almost every club in another major league. 

“The Golden State @valkyries will likely generate $130 million in gross revenue in Year 2 of the franchise. That is more than 28 of the 30 teams in MLS,” reported by a Sportico reporter on X.

That number did not come out of nowhere. Earlier this month, Sportico reported that the Valkyries had already passed $100 million in revenue in the regular season, before a single playoff game. That made them the first WNBA team, and the first women’s pro sports team, to hit that mark. 

A run to the Finals, they added, could lift gross revenue past $130 million. Golden State is now in the Finals, so that number is back in play. 

The jump is big. The Valkyries made $78 million in their first season, which was a women’s sports record at the time and 48% more than the second-place Indiana Fever. Going from $78 million to $130 million would be a rise of about 67%, and about $30 million more than their regular-season total. It is still a projection, not a final number.

So why is the money coming in? The simple answer is that fans keep showing up and brands keep signing on. Chase Center holds 18,064 people, and the Valkyries sold out all 22 home games this year, a league-best average.

The team stopped season-ticket sales at over 12,000, courtside seats went for about $1,500 a game, and more than 40 sponsors are on board, including JPMorgan Chase, Kaiser Permanente and United Airlines. 

Team president Jess Smith told Sportico, “Last year wasn’t a movie premiere. It was really step one.”

A 32-12 season, the second-best record in the league, helped too. 

Money also moves value. CNBC valued the team at $1 billion in May. The San Francisco Standard worked out that the team would need about $156 million in yearly revenue to reach $2 billion at CNBC’s rate. It believes that could happen before the end of the decade. It also noted that the regular season grows from 44 to 50 games next year, which should bring more revenue and sponsor space. 

Game 7 Turns Up the Heat in San Francisco 

The next big payday comes Saturday. The Atlanta Dream won Game 6, 80-69, to tie the Finals at 3-3. That set up the first Finals Game 7 in WNBA history, at Chase Center on Halloween, with a 5 p.m. tip-off. Another home date means more ticket, food and merchandise money.

Fans are paying for it. Ticket prices start at $396, the highest for any WNBA game ever. w. In Atlanta, Game 6 tickets fell as low as $23 because of the 12:30 p.m. weekday start.

On the court, the Dream led 32-15 after one quarter and never gave it back. Now, the Valkyries need to flip three things. Help defenders were present on only 46% of Atlanta’s drives, compared with 72.7% in the regular season. Angel Reese made 5 of 7 shots against Kiah Stokes after making just 6 of 25 in the first five games. And Gabby Williams, who scored a game-high 26 points, shot well below what her looks should have produced. 

Before Game 6, Stokes said, “We don’t want to have to come back to Ballhalla.” Now they will, with a title and a lot more money on the line.