Valkyries Roll Past Wings 104-80 in First Home Playoff Game at Chase Center

Golden State opened the WNBA playoffs with a 104-80 rout of Dallas at Chase Center, claiming the first postseason victory in franchise history behind a roaring home crowd.

The Golden State Valkyries began the WNBA playoffs with a 104-80 win over the Dallas Wings on Sunday at Chase Center, taking Game 1 of their best-of-three first-round series. It marked the first postseason victory in franchise history.

The occasion doubled as the first playoff game the club has staged in its own arena, and the stands were ready. Reserve point guard Kaitlyn Chen stepped out before introductions, lifted her arms toward each side of the building and waved for more volume. Golden State made the night one-sided from there.

Coach Natalie Nakase describes the fan base as an extension of her roster. "Ballhalla is part of us. They're our sixth man," Nakase said before the game. "They roar when they're supposed to roar, they're hostile when they're supposed to be hostile – almost to a point where we know we're not going to be able to hear. That's why we have signals." She added that playing there with that energy is "literally my dream come true," and that the crowd fuels a group whose identity rests on fighting, punching and physical play.

The numbers back the noise. Golden State went 17-5 at Chase Center in the regular season, the WNBA's best home mark and one game better than Dallas at 16-6. The No. 2 seed, secured by rallying past the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday in the final game of the regular season, ensures homecourt advantage in this round and in the semifinals should the Valkyries keep advancing, possibly against Las Vegas.

Perceptions of the franchise have shifted as the results have piled up. After exceeding expectations by reaching the playoffs in their debut season, the Valkyries arrive in their second campaign as a bona fide title contender, with the crowd and the homecourt edge counted among the biggest reasons.

A year ago, the setting was different. Chase Center was unavailable because of the Laver Cup tennis tournament, so the Valkyries staged their lone home playoff game at SAP Center in San Jose, where Minnesota won and ended Golden State's season. Sunday finally delivered a postseason night in the team's own building.

The organization dressed the game in its signature color. Violet shirts bearing the words "Ballhalla Loud" covered every seat, the team played in violet uniforms, and the giant screen above the floor showed crowd shots during warmups. Signs around the arena included "Skipping class in Canada for this," a "Win it for the Bay" message with the last word changed to read "Gays," and "Valkatraz," with "lock 'em down" written below in smaller letters, a nod to Golden State's No. 1-ranked defense.

Chen, asked before tipoff whether the noise matters most on the defensive end or in the opening minutes, said the effect never stops. "I feel like it's the whole game," she said. "Ballhalla in the regular season is already incredible – they bring it from before tipoff until after the game is over."

Game 2 is set for Wednesday in Dallas, with a decisive Game 3, if necessary, returning to San Francisco on Friday. Las Vegas would likely be next for the winner: the Aces overwhelmed Indiana in their series opener Sunday, feature four-time MVP A'ja Wilson, have won three of the last four league championships and took all three meetings with Golden State this season. Facing that opponent with homecourt could prove pivotal for the Valkyries.