Valkyries Coach Opens Up About Unfortunate Playoff Situation

Valkyries have to travel for a home game

The Valkyries will be playing their first-ever playoff home game at the SAP Center in San Jose, rather than the Chase Center in San Francisco, where the stands have transformed into Ballhalla every prior home game.

Despite the change in venue, Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase isn't worried.

"So, we're playing in a different arena, great!" Nakase said (via Kenzo Fukuda of Clutch Points). "Even if we're in San Jose, that's still considered the Bay. We know that they're going to travel, our fans are going to come... For us, we're still at home."

Nakase has already discussed the logistics of travel and preparation changes needed for her team to make the commute to San Jose, but for the most part, her team still gets to sleep in their own beds and enjoy a home-court advantage, she said.

Nakase's optimism about the change of scenery is something she shares with her players.

"We have faith in our fans that they're going to continue to show out for us. Wherever we play, we're going to bring our basketball," Valkyries guard Veronica Burton said (via Valkyries). "So, we're confident, we're excited, it's another opportunity to compete. So, regardless of where we're at, we're going to show up."

Why the Valkyries are playing at the SAP Center

The move to the SAP Center wasn't any deliberate choice made by the Valkyries, but instead an unfortunate scheduling difficulty that was set in motion years before the Valkyries' breakout success.

It was announced in March 2024 that the Chase Center was reserved for the Laver Cup, an international tennis tournament, between September 19-21, with an open practice day on September 18. The set-up required for the tournament forced the Valkyries to pivot to the SAP Center for game two of the first round of the playoffs, which will happen on September 16.

It's been a controversial decision in light of the Valkyries' success, and tearing down for the tournament could also keep the Valkyries in San Jose in the second round of playoffs if they advance.

As Nakase said, Golden State will still be playing at home, even if home looks a little different. With the way that Bay Area fans have shown up for their new team, even San Jose can become Ballhalla for a night or two.

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