May 21, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Washington Mystics guard Jade Melbourne (5), forward Kiki Iriafen (44), guard Lucy Olsen (33) and the team huddle during a timeout against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Golden State Valkyries Win First Game with Former Stanford Legends in Attendance

Originally posted on Stanford Cardinal on SI
By Dylan Grausz | Last updated May 22, 2025 5:54 PM ET

Welcome to the WNBA, Golden State. In only their second-ever game as a franchise, the Golden State Valkyries rallied for a thrilling win, taking down former Stanford star, Kiki Iriafen, and the Washington Mystics by a score of 76-74. But Iriafen was not the only Stanford legend that was a part of the special night.

Legendary Stanford women's basketball head coach, Tara VanDerveer, was in attendance as well, donning a black team jersey. Before the action on the court began, she hit the drum to kick off the game. Then, came tip-off where despite starting slow, the Valkyries were able to outscore Washington in the second and fourth quarters to take home the two point victory.

The second winningest coach in NCAA Women’s Basketball history, Tara Vanderveer, sounding the drum for tonight’s game pic.twitter.com/SNXthNU90v
— Chase Center (@ChaseCenter) May 22, 2025

For the game, Iriafen finished tied as the Mystics' second leading scorer, totaling 10 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes played. In three games played, Iriafen has been exceptionally dominant for the Mystics, with two double-doubles already in her rookie season. After scoring 14 points and recording four rebounds in her debut, she had 17 points and 14 rebounds in her second game.

VanDerveer, the former record holder for most wins by an NCAA Division I Women's coach, created a legacy for herself that cemented her as one of the greatest ever.

A three-time national champion, five-time coach of the year and a 2011 inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame, VanDerveer's basketball greatness is matched by very few--with only UConn head coach Geno Auriemma having more all-time wins.

This season is expected to be a challenging one for the Valkyries. An expansion team, expectations are against them when it comes to being a playoff team. In the entire history of the WNBA, no expansion team has ever made the playoffs in their first season of existence.

The Atlanta Dream, founded in 2008, found quick success with a championship in 2010, but also struggled in year one, finishing 4-30.

Now that there is a WNBA team in the Bay Area, it could be highly likely that Stanford presence continues. Now the real question becomes whether or not Golden State can surprise people and turn heads in their inaugural season as a franchise.

This article first appeared on Stanford Cardinal on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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