The Golden State Valkyries have made sports-business history by becoming the first women’s professional sports team reported to have surpassed $100 million in annual revenue.
The achievement comes during only the franchise’s second season in the WNBA and represents another major milestone in the rapid commercial growth of women’s professional sports.
According to Sportico’s report, the Valkyries have become the first WNBA team — and the first women’s professional sports team overall — to cross the $100 million annual revenue mark.
The development is particularly striking because the franchise is still relatively new.
A remarkable second season
The Valkyries have combined strong commercial performance with success on the basketball court.
The team sold out all 22 of its regular-season home games in 2026, demonstrating the strength of its fan base.
Golden State also finished the regular season with a 32–12 record, giving the team the second-best record in the WNBA.
That combination of attendance, performance and commercial interest has helped transform the franchise into one of the most valuable properties in women’s sport.
Franchise valuation reaches $1 billion
Earlier this year, CNBC valued the Valkyries at approximately $1 billion, making them the most valuable women’s sports franchise.
The valuation is another indication of how quickly investors’ perception of women’s sports is changing.
For years, women’s professional leagues struggled to attract the same commercial attention as men’s competitions.
That gap has not disappeared, but the rapid rise of franchises such as the Valkyries suggests the market is becoming increasingly confident that women’s sports can generate substantial revenue.
Fans are driving the growth
The Valkyries’ success has been closely connected to their relationship with supporters.
Selling out every regular-season home game means the franchise has created a strong demand for live basketball.
The team’s performance has also helped.
A 32–12 record gave supporters a successful product to follow, while the team’s playoff run created additional attention.
The Valkyries advanced past the Dallas Wings in the first round and entered the WNBA semifinals with momentum
They then took a 2–0 lead over the Las Vegas Aces in their best-of-five semifinal series.
A championship run could make the number even bigger
The financial milestone may not stop at $100 million.
Sportico reported that a run to the WNBA Finals could push the franchise’s annual gross revenue beyond $130 million.
That would further demonstrate the commercial potential of successful women’s sports teams.
Playoff games create additional ticket revenue, merchandise sales, sponsorship opportunities and media exposure.
A championship appearance could therefore become another major commercial moment for the franchise.
Why this matters for women’s sports
The Valkyries’ achievement has significance beyond one basketball team.
Women’s sports have been experiencing growing investment, larger audiences and increasing commercial interest across multiple disciplines.
The WNBA in particular has benefited from a new generation of highly visible players and a growing fan base.
Greater commercial success can create a positive cycle.
Higher revenues can support better facilities, marketing, player development, media coverage and fan experiences.
Those improvements can attract more fans and sponsors, generating additional revenue.
A changing sports-business landscape
The milestone also challenges old assumptions about the commercial ceiling of women’s sport.
The fact that a second-year WNBA franchise can generate more than $100 million in annual revenue demonstrates that demand exists when the right combination of location, branding, sporting success and fan engagement comes together.
The Valkyries are benefiting from being located in the Bay Area, one of the world’s major technology and business hubs.
But the team’s success cannot be explained by location alone.
The organisation has invested heavily in building a distinctive identity and connecting with its supporters.
What comes next?
The biggest question is whether the Valkyries’ success can become a model for other women’s sports franchises.
If more teams achieve comparable levels of attendance, sponsorship and commercial revenue, the financial landscape of women’s sports could change significantly.
The Valkyries have already shown what is possible.
Their $100 million milestone is not simply a financial statistic. It is a signal that women’s professional sport is becoming an increasingly important commercial market.
With the team still competing for its first WNBA championship, the franchise could add another major achievement to an already historic second season.
