{"id":3103,"date":"2026-06-26T22:38:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T22:38:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103"},"modified":"2026-06-26T22:38:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T22:38:06","slug":"were-all-about-inclusivity-how-the-valkyries-made-pride-part-of-their-identity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103","title":{"rendered":"\u2018We\u2019re all about inclusivity\u2019: How the Valkyries made Pride part of their identity"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<p><span>SAN FRANCISCO \u2014 The <\/span><span>rainbow decorations<\/span><span> were already filling the areas around Chase Center hours before tipoff on Friday night.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3101\">OpenAI limits its latest ChatGPT product to Trump-approved customers during cybersecurity review<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>So were the signs, the face paint and the jerseys. As the <\/span><span>Valkyries<\/span><span> set up for the <\/span><span>Pride Night<\/span><span> festivities, two types of pride filled Chase Center \u2013 the Bay Area variety and the Golden State kind, layered together intentionally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>On Friday, the Valkyries will hold Pride night, and the celebration carried a particular resonance for a franchise that has made <\/span><span>LGBTQ+ inclusion<\/span><span> part of its identity since before it ever played a game.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In a league where athletes of the LGBTQ+ community have long been embraced, the Valkyries have leaned into that culture deliberately. From holding themed nights for pride to being a franchise that is about inclusivity, Golden State has never shied away from making clear who this team is for.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe\u2019re all about inclusivity and I love it,\u201d Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said. \u201cI love the fact that people can feel their authentic self here, and we welcome everyone. Sometimes when I get a peek, I\u2019ll look around in Ballhalla and I just see all the love. I think there are new people that are making either friendships or new family members literally just by coming together and feeling super inclusive. So I love the fact that we take super intentional steps to make everyone feel welcome.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Nakase\u2019s perspective on inclusivity is personal. The same can be said for Valkyries star Gabby Williams..\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cJust to see how far we\u2019ve come, having a night like this where the kiss cam can be two women or two men,\u201d Williams told the Bay Area News Group on Friday morning. \u201cJust seeing how open and normal it is here. It is like a really warm feeling that people could just be themselves unapologetically.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>That sense of belonging was all a part of the plan.<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>Long before the Valkyries had their inaugural season, the franchise made it clear that LGBTQ+ inclusion would be woven into the team\u2019s identity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Golden State has celebrated Pride across the Bay Area, partnering with local organizations and artists while creating programming that extends beyond basketball. From Pride-themed events to hosting drag performances at halftime, the Valkyries have consistently used their platform to celebrate the community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>That approach has resonated with fans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>A grassroots LGBTQ+ fan group known as the ValQueeries formed last year. The group has organized watch parties, meetups and community events centered around their fandom of the Valkyries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3099\">Recruiting: Washington State\u2019s stunner, Utah\u2019s in-state push and a preview of commitment week as unofficial deadline approaches<\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>For many of the team\u2019s supporters, Valkyries games have become a place where people could build community with others who shared both their passion for the game and their identity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201c[The Valkyries] know we exist, so that feels pretty special for us when we realize, \u2018They\u2019re very much on our radar, and we\u2019re on theirs,\u2019\u201d ValQueeries co-founder Megan Doherty-Baker told <\/span><span>Local News Matters<\/span><span> this month.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s a relationship that reflects the broader culture of the WNBA, where LGBTQ+ players have long found acceptance and visibility.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But in the Bay Area, a region with deep ties to history and activism, the Valkyries made inclusion part of the team\u2019s culture rather than an annual campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe Bay Area celebrates history for sure,\u201d Williams said. \u201cWhat are the Valkyries of the Bay Area historically? They\u2019re Black Panthers. They were the first gay mayor being elected in San Francisco in the 1970s. I think it\u2019s something that they want to continue. They want to keep being trailblazers in these things, and they want to keep representing those who fought for where we are today, which I absolutely adore. The Valkyries really take the time to find these pioneers.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>For Nakase, the commitment to inclusion is rooted in something she understands in her own life. Nakase said she was usually one of the only Japanese Americans playing basketball in her hometown of Huntington Beach and feels what it\u2019s like to be misunderstood.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI kind of understand what it\u2019s like to be different,\u201d Nakase said. \u201cPeople thought I was in the wrong building in college, they thought that I was a gymnast and I was wearing the wrong backpack that said basketball, so I was always being mislabeled. I would say always being misunderstood makes you feel sad in a way, but my dad instilled me a lot of confidence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI was very lucky to have a father that instilled in me a very strong mindset, so that\u2019s why I do feel it\u2019s important that it\u2019s all inclusive. I do want people to feel welcome, but more importantly, to be themselves, and that being themselves is very special.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>That message is one Williams hopes reaches beyond Chase Center.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIt\u2019s something that I carry with pride for sure,\u201d Williams said. \u201cJust the fact that I don\u2019t have to change who I am for my profession, I think is awesome. And the fact that it\u2019s celebrated in my profession, I hope that it heals a lot of young girls or young people watching.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3097\">Crockett rapper \u2018Top Shotta\u2019 charged with shooting under Carquinez Bridge<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Golden State has embraced LGBTQ+ inclusion as a core part of its franchise since Day 1.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3102,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,5,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-golden-state-valkyries","category-sports","category-wnba"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u2018We\u2019re all about inclusivity\u2019: How the Valkyries made Pride part of their identity - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018We\u2019re all about inclusivity\u2019: How the Valkyries made Pride part of their identity - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Golden State has embraced LGBTQ+ inclusion as a core part of its franchise since Day 1.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-26T22:38:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3103#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3103\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"headline\":\"\u2018We\u2019re all about inclusivity\u2019: How the Valkyries made Pride part of their identity\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-26T22:38:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3103\"},\"wordCount\":907,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3103#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/8743f999e7fd0a8bf30b9158650fa4ea.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Golden State Valkyries\",\"Sports\",\"WNBA\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3103#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3103\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3103\",\"name\":\"\u2018We\u2019re all about inclusivity\u2019: How the Valkyries made Pride part of their identity - Next City Digest\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3103#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3103#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/8743f999e7fd0a8bf30b9158650fa4ea.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-26T22:38:06+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3103#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3103\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3103#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/8743f999e7fd0a8bf30b9158650fa4ea.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/8743f999e7fd0a8bf30b9158650fa4ea.webp\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":682},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=3103#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u2018We\u2019re all about inclusivity\u2019: How the Valkyries made Pride part of their identity\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Next City Digest\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u2018We\u2019re all about inclusivity\u2019: How the Valkyries made Pride part of their identity - Next City Digest","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u2018We\u2019re all about inclusivity\u2019: How the Valkyries made Pride part of their identity - Next City Digest","og_description":"Golden State has embraced LGBTQ+ inclusion as a core part of its franchise since Day 1.","og_url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103","og_site_name":"Next City Digest","article_published_time":"2026-06-26T22:38:06+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#\/schema\/person\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b"},"headline":"\u2018We\u2019re all about inclusivity\u2019: How the Valkyries made Pride part of their identity","datePublished":"2026-06-26T22:38:06+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103"},"wordCount":907,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/8743f999e7fd0a8bf30b9158650fa4ea.webp","articleSection":["Golden State Valkyries","Sports","WNBA"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103","url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103","name":"\u2018We\u2019re all about inclusivity\u2019: How the Valkyries made Pride part of their identity - Next City Digest","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/8743f999e7fd0a8bf30b9158650fa4ea.webp","datePublished":"2026-06-26T22:38:06+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#\/schema\/person\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/8743f999e7fd0a8bf30b9158650fa4ea.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/8743f999e7fd0a8bf30b9158650fa4ea.webp","width":1024,"height":682},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3103#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u2018We\u2019re all about inclusivity\u2019: How the Valkyries made Pride part of their identity"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/","name":"Next City Digest","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#\/schema\/person\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/nextcitydigest.com"],"url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3103\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}