As a coach who works with younger athletes daily, Gartner has immediately seen the impact.
“It’s been transformational already. Whether they realize it or not, young girls absorb what they see. And now they’re seeing women lead at the highest levels: on the court, in the front office, on coaching staffs, in media coverage. That visibility is changing the narrative,” she said. “Their dreams are expanding in real time. That kind of representation wasn’t there when I was growing up, but now it’s right in front of them.”
Like Gartner, Sue Phillips has also dedicated her career to youth girls basketball in the greater Bay Area. Phillips balances her powerhouse girls’ basketball program at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose with her role as founder and program director for the San Jose Cagers AAU organization and her junior national team coaching duties for USA Basketball. She still finds time to cheer on the Valkyries.
“The crowd is a testament to how much the Bay Area wants to support our women’s sports,” Phillips said. “There were some naysayers that might’ve said that a women’s team would not receive the kind of support necessary to be financially viable, but it’s truly proven to be that and more.”
Before the Valkyries’ owner Joe Lacob brought his expansion team vision to life and the brand new team suited up for the 2025 season, local women’s basketball fans got their fix watching storied women’s basketball programs at Stanford and Cal.