Golden State Valkyries Valued at $850 Million, Become Most Valuable WNBA Team

The Golden State Valkyries, in just their second season, have become the most valuable team in the WNBA at $850 million, according to Sportico’s latest valuation report — putting them close to the $1 billion mark and highlighting the explosive growth of women’s professional basketball.In their inaugural season, the Valkyries generated a WNBA-record $78 million in revenue, driven by strong season-ticket sales (over 10,000) and major sponsorship deals with brands like JPMorgan Chase, Sephora, and United Airlines. The franchise, which paid a $50 million expansion fee in 2023, has seen its value skyrocket.

Why the Valuation Jumped

Revenue: $78 million (WNBA record)

Season tickets: 10,000+ initially, now 12,000+ for 2026

Major sponsors: JPMorgan Chase, Sephora, United Airlines

Expansion fee (2023): $50 million

That’s an enormous leap in just a couple of years—frankly, the kind of return most sports owners only dream about.

Key Highlights from the Report:

Average WNBA team value: $425 million (up 58% from last year)

Highest value-to-revenue multiplier of any major U.S. sports league, surpassing even the NBA

Valkyries are worth 150% more than the top-valued NWSL team (Angel City FC at $335 million)

Top Valued WNBA Teams

Golden State Valkyries: $850 million

New York Liberty: $600 million

Indiana Fever: $560 million

Seattle Storm: $425 million

Phoenix Mercury: $420 million

Las Vegas Aces: $410 million

Los Angeles Sparks: $400 million

Minnesota Lynx: $355 million

Dallas Wings: $325 million

Chicago Sky: $320 million

Washington Mystics: $310 million

Connecticut Sun: $300 million

Atlanta Dream: $280 million (least valuable)

The Valkyries, coached by Natalie Nakase, went 23-21 in their debut season and made the playoffs. They have already sold more than 12,000 season tickets for 2026.This surge in valuations comes amid the WNBA’s record media rights deal, record TV ratings, and a new collective bargaining agreement that significantly increased player salaries and revenue sharing. The league did not include the two newest expansion teams (Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo) in this valuation.Women’s sports continue to show massive growth in value, viewership, and investment.

________