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Golden State WNBA expansion team reveals name, logo

USA TODAY
                                WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, center, poses for a photo with Golden State Warriors co-executive chairman & chief executive officer Joe Lacob, left, and Warriors co-executive chairman Peter Guber during a press conference to announce an expansion WNBA franchise in the San Francisco Bay Area at Chase Center on Oct. 5.

USA TODAY

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, center, poses for a photo with Golden State Warriors co-executive chairman & chief executive officer Joe Lacob, left, and Warriors co-executive chairman Peter Guber during a press conference to announce an expansion WNBA franchise in the San Francisco Bay Area at Chase Center on Oct. 5.

The WNBA expansion team due to begin play in 2025 in San Francisco unveiled its name, logo and colors today, introducing the Golden State Valkyries.

Valkyries are warrior women from Norse mythology.

“This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce,” the team said in a news release.

The Valkyries are the first expansion team in the league since 2008.

“Communities own sports teams, so it’s only fitting that as we embarked on the brand identity development process, we really listened to the fans and selected a name that they wanted,” said Amanda Chin, the Golden State Warriors’ senior vice president of marketing.

“Through surveys and social media, the name that continued to come up the most, by far, was Valkyries. Once we completed a rigorous process to examine and approve the name, we worked around the clock to build the supporting brand elements that our players and fans alike would be proud to represent.”

The team colors are black and violet. The logo is a “V” stylized with other symbols, including the Bay Bridge, which the team said represents the link between Chase Center in San Francisco, where the team will play its home games, and Oakland across the bay, where the franchise has its headquarters. The bridge tower is in the shape of a sword, frequently shown with Valkyries in mythology, and the 13 lines coming from it pay tribute to the Valkyries becoming the WNBA’s 13th team.

The WNBA is expected to soon announce the awarding of an expansion franchise to Toronto.

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