Wednesday, May 21 marked the first-ever win for the WNBA’s newest team, the Golden State Valkyries. Many more dubs are to come, but that inaugural one will always hit with extra sentimentality: The nascent franchise has the resources and market hype to become a competitor in due time.

VanDerveer retired after the Cardinal’s Sweet 16 exit, and Iriafen returned home to Los Angeles, transferring to USC to join college basketball superstar Juju Watkins. She went on to earn all-Big Ten first-team honors this past season and helped lead the Trojans to an Elite Eight appearance.

The matchup between the Valkyries and Sparks is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. ET on Friday at crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The game will be broadcast on ION, but can also be streamed on WNBA League Pass.

The Golden State Valkyries are adding one more achievement to their already legendary first year. After becoming the 13th franchise in WNBA history and setting an attendance record in their first preseason game,

Irvin and UTEP alum Kayla Thornton scored the first points in Golden State Valkyries history, seven months after she won WNBA title.

It’s been a fun start to the 2025 WNBA season, and yours truly has already hit five of six bets placed on the league heading into Wednesday’s three games slate.

From the Golden State Valkyries' debut to Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese's sophomore seasons, see what to keep an eye out for during the 2025 women's basketball season

The Los Angeles Sparks stunned a sold-out crowd at the Chase Center and beat the Valkyries 84-67 in the club’s first game as a WNBA franchise. The Valkyries set a record with 18,064 fans in attendance for their opening game as the 13th franchise in the league — which marked the highest attendance for any team in its debut game.