The skeptics had their spreadsheets ready, but the Valkyries had WNBA history on their minds. The doubters circled their calendars for another rebuilding year. But someone forgot to tell the Golden State Valkyries that expansion teams are supposed to struggle.

Thursday night’s 84-80 victory over the Dallas Wings wasn’t just another win—it was a thunderclap that echoed through Chase Center and reverberated across WNBA history. The Valkyries became the first expansion franchise in league history to punch their ticket to the playoffs during their inaugural season, a feat that has basketball purists scrambling to rewrite their preconceptions about what’s possible in professional women’s basketball.

How the Valkyries Rewrote WNBA History Books

When the final buzzer sounded, the emotions were raw and unfiltered. Players embraced teammates with tears streaming down their faces. Coach Natalie Nakase, who had preached patience and process all season long, allowed herself a brief moment to absorb the magnitude of what her team had accomplished.

The numbers tell only part of this remarkable story. At 23-18 overall and an impressive 14-7 at home, the Valkyries didn’t just make the playoffs—they obliterated every statistical precedent for expansion teams in WNBA history. Consider this: the previous 10 expansion franchises since 1998 managed to win just over 30% of their games collectively during their debut seasons. Most were afterthoughts by March, their young rosters learning harsh lessons about professional basketball’s unforgiving nature.

The closest any expansion team had come to playoff contention was the 1998 Detroit Shock, who posted a respectable 17-13 record but still fell short of postseason play. That made Thursday’s achievement feel almost mythical—like watching someone clear a high jump bar that had stood untouched for over two decades.

The Heart Behind the Historic Achievement

Janelle Salaun’s 19-point performance against Dallas embodied everything this Valkyries roster represents. She wasn’t a household name when the season started. Neither were most of her teammates. This group was assembled from former role players, overlooked prospects, and women who had been waiting for their moment to prove they belonged on basketball’s biggest stage.

The balanced scoring attack that pushed Golden State over the finish line—five players in double figures—reflected the team’s fundamental identity. No superstars, no manufactured storylines, just basketball played the right way by women who refused to accept limitations placed on them by others.

Paige Bueckers’ 27-point effort for Dallas made the victory even sweeter. Here was a legitimate star performer giving everything she had, and the Valkyries still found a way to answer every challenge. That’s championship DNA, even if this team is just getting started.