Half a season in, the expansion Valkyries are writing the playbook for immediate WNBA success. It\u2019s a playbook that\u2019ll be studied by the five teams joining the W over the next five years (how long have WNBA fans been waiting for that growth!).<\/p>\n
So what\u2019s the secret sauce? I\u2019m going to the source for that, picking the brain of Valkyries President Jess Smith.<\/p>\n
Build a unique brand<\/b><\/p>\n
The club has put on a masterclass in brand building, from an iconic and unique name, purple color scheme (seriously\ud83d\udd25) and ties to the community. Part of that was practical. The purple came, in part, from looking at what was available in the league that would make them stand out (and fit in) with lifestyle wear.<\/p>\n
Originating in Norse mythology as a name for warrior women, the Valkyries incorporated the Bay Bridge into their V logo. Chase Center has become known as Ballhalla, adapting the mythology of Valkyries guiding souls to Valhalla.<\/p>\n
Representative of the diverse community and culture, the Violet Vibes dance team includes dancers of all ages and genders.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve really been the ultimate case study for how to build a brand that is their own,\u201d Smith tells SBJ. \u201cWe wanted to lean into the lore. So when you are here at Ballhalla, our video and our dance team, like every detail, was something that we wanted to make sure was different and reflective of what we were building.\u201d <\/p>\n
Build locally<\/b><\/p>\n
Valkyries leadership, including owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, knew the Bay Area was hungry for a team in the W, with collegiate and Olympic success in the area and a concentration of fans of the league.<\/p>\n
But they still leveraged the trust in the local community that has been garnered by the Warriors\u2019 success and built on it. Smith estimates that 18 months into the job, she\u2019s still doing five or more speaking events each week, with everyone from city politicians throughout the Bay Area to community stakeholders.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did it our way, the Golden State way. We did it with kindness. We did it with good people,\u201d she said. \u201cWe did it with our community in mind and giving back. We did it in listening to our fan base. It\u2019s really been overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Be competitive<\/b><\/p>\n
The Valkyries have sold out their home games at 18,000-seat Chase Center and are averaging a league-best 18,064 fans per game. One thing that\u2019s helping this season is the expansion team being competitive for a playoff spot. <\/p>\n