The Golden State Valkyries are hosting the Minnesota Lynx for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday. However, the game would be played at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, and not at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Marisa Ingemi, the Valkyries were unable to play at the Chase Center because of the ongoing Laver Cup. The tennis tournament was booked before the franchise was awarded to Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, so a compromise couldn’t be made.
Valkyries team president and chief operating officer, Brandon Schneider, defended the decision to play the team’s first-ever playoff home game in San Jose.
“The Laver Cup is a global tennis tournament that we booked several months before we were awarded a WNBA team,” Schneider said, according to Alex Simon of SF Gate. “There was no way to avoid this. This is a 12-to-13-day thing. If it was a concert, you would say, ‘OK, move the concert.’ But that clearly is not an option with this.”
The Golden State Valkyries are pulling out all the stops to make the fans feel at home at the SAP Center. Marisa Ingemi reported that the team’s mascot, Violet, and the dance team will be in attendance to create the same atmosphere as the Chase Center.
Game-day staples will remain, and every fan in attendance will receive a violet “First in a Lifetime” t-shirt. Season-ticket holders were also given the option to get similar seats at the SAP Center, with only a few hundred tickets left despite the travel from San Francisco to San Jose.
The SAP Center can welcome 18,500 fans, which is more than the Chase Center’s 18,064 seating capacity. The hardwood floor from the Chase Center was even transported to San Jose.
Golden State Valkyries need to win Game 2 to force knockout in Minneapolis
The Golden State Valkyries looked overwhelmed in their playoff debut on Sunday against the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx in Game 1. The Lynx dominated from start to finish to get the easy 101-72 win and earn a 1-0 series lead. They have a chance to sweep the series on Wednesday in San Jose.
In addition to trying to stop Napheesa Collier, the Valkyries’ offense needs to improve, especially the players off the bench. The starters did a good job, but they will need more from the likes of Laeticia Amehere, Monique Billings, Carla Leite and Iliana Rupert to have a chance of forcing Game 3 back to Minneapolis.
alt=”Juan Paolo David” height=”72″ width=”72″>
Edited by Juan Paolo David
