Valkyries Pride – At Chase Center on Pride Night, the Valkyries’ message isn’t limited to decorations. Coach Natalie Nakase and star Gabby Williams describe a franchise built around LGBTQ+ inclusion—where fans say they feel seen, and where coming together has become its own kin
SAN FRANCISCO — The rainbow decorations were already filling the areas around Chase Center hours before tipoff on Friday night. So were the signs, the face paint and the jerseys.
As the Valkyries set up for Pride Night festivities. two types of pride filled the arena at once — the Bay Area kind and the Golden State kind. layered together intentionally. On Friday. the Valkyries will hold Pride Night. and for a franchise that has made LGBTQ+ inclusion part of its identity since before it ever played a game. the moment lands with extra weight.
“We’re all about inclusivity and I love it,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said. “I love the fact that people can feel their authentic self here, and we welcome everyone. Sometimes when I get a peek, I’ll look around in Ballhalla and I just see all the love. I think there are new people that are making either friendships or new family members literally just by coming together and feeling super inclusive. So I love the fact that we take super intentional steps to make everyone feel welcome.”.
Nakase’s commitment isn’t just a slogan. She describes it as something personal — and she doesn’t speak in theory.
The same can be said for Valkyries star Gabby Williams. “Just to see how far we’ve come. having a night like this where the kiss cam can be two women or two men. ” Williams told the Bay Area News Group on Friday morning. “Just seeing how open and normal it is here. It is like a really warm feeling that people could just be themselves unapologetically.”.
For people inside the building, that warmth has turned into something more durable than a one-night celebration.
Long before the Valkyries had their inaugural season. the franchise made it clear that LGBTQ+ inclusion would be woven into the team’s identity. Golden State has celebrated Pride across the Bay Area. partnering with local organizations and artists while creating programming that extends beyond basketball. From Pride-themed events to hosting drag performances at halftime, the Valkyries have consistently used their platform to celebrate the community.
The ripple effect shows up in fan culture, too.
A grassroots LGBTQ+ fan group known as the ValQueeries formed last year. The group has organized watch parties, meetups and community events centered around their fandom of the Valkyries.
For many supporters, games have become a place where they can build community with others who share both their passion for the sport and their identity.
“[The Valkyries] know we exist, so that feels pretty special for us when we realize, ‘They’re very much on our radar, and we’re on theirs,’ ” ValQueeries co-founder Megan Doherty-Baker told Local News Matters this month.
That stance reflects the broader culture of the WNBA, where LGBTQ+ players have long found acceptance and visibility. But in the Bay Area — a region with deep ties to history and activism — the Valkyries didn’t treat inclusion as something that only arrives once a year.
“The Bay Area celebrates history for sure,” Williams said. “What are the Valkyries of the Bay Area historically?. They’re Black Panthers. They were the first gay (Board of Supervisors member Harvey Milk) being elected in San Francisco in the 1970s. I think it’s something that they want to continue. They want to keep being trailblazers in these things. and they want to keep representing those who fought for where we are today. which I absolutely adore. The Valkyries really take the time to find these pioneers.”.
Nakase said the team’s approach also connects to what it feels like to be misunderstood.
She said she was usually one of the only Japanese Americans playing basketball in her hometown of Huntington Beach and feels what it’s like to be misunderstood.
“I kind of understand what it’s like to be different,” Nakase said. “People thought I was in the wrong building in college. they thought that I was a gymnast and I was wearing the wrong backpack that said basketball. so I was always being mislabeled. I would say always being misunderstood makes you feel sad in a way. but my dad instilled in me a lot of confidence.
“I was very lucky to have a father that instilled in me a very strong mindset, so that’s why I do feel it’s important that it’s all inclusive. I do want people to feel welcome, but more importantly, to be themselves, and that being themselves is very special.”
Williams hopes that the message doesn’t stop at the arena doors.
“It’s something that I carry with pride for sure,” Williams said. “Just the fact that I don’t have to change who I am for my profession, I think is awesome. And the fact that it’s celebrated in my profession, I hope that it heals a lot of young girls or young people watching.”
Doherty-Baker remembers the first time she saw that kind of crowd at the team’s games — and how quickly it moved from admiration to action. She launched the ValQueeries after being struck by the numerous LGBTQ+ fans at the first Golden State Valkyries game at Chase Center in 2025.
On a night when the rainbow decorations were already up hours before tipoff, the Valkyries’ Pride Night feels less like a theme and more like a promise: that belonging isn’t something you earn for one evening — it’s something you walk into.
Valkyries Pride Night LGBTQ+ inclusion Natalie Nakase Gabby Williams Chase Center ValQueeries Megan Doherty-Baker WNBA Harvey Milk