A violet disposition

Even the colors behind the team’s brand were picked with purpose.

Cartwright and Chin chose the Valkyries’ proprietary color—Valkyrie Violet—to indicate power, ambition, nobility and women’s empowerment. Paired with a shade of black dubbed Total Eclipse, Valkyrie Violet is viewed by its creators as a “bold,” modern” and “dramatic” color distinct from the Warriors’ blue and yellow.

It also showed up best on team uniforms, the Valkyries’ “highest visibility asset.” The team spent time with Nike sifting through its color options and figuring out which would look just as good on screens and in marketing materials as they do on jerseys, jackets and other offerings before making its final choice.

“There were some colors in the range that were not achievable,” Chin said. “Nike came to us at one point and said, ‘We can’t do this in cotton and fleece,’ and we were like, ‘Oh, cotton and fleece feel pretty important to achieve from a merchandise standpoint.’”

The colors and logo get their first test when the Valkyries release their first apparel through the team store today. The team’s partnership with Nike is supplemented by gear from Fisll, New Era, Phenomenal, Playa Society, The Wild Collective, Wear by Erin Andrews and Wilson.  

On May 18, Chase Center’s Thrive City space will give the brand and its merch a test run at a Valkyries block party featuring Lacob, Valkyries president Jess Smith, and Bay Area artists including Kehlani, E-40, P-Lo and Goapele. With more than 7,000 fans already signed up for season tickets, the Valkyries brand now hits the streets in preparation for WNBA opening day in 2025.

“As we move forward with this brand and start to figure out how to stand the franchise up and get ready to be on the court in 2025, we’re going to be looking to bring to life the brand in a way that really speaks to the audience and speaks to the brand,” Chin said. “We’re still figuring out what the game presentation will look like and what are the extensions of the brand through that live environment in terms of how we can tell the story there. It feels like there’s a ton of opportunity.”