Joe Lacob promised a WNBA championship for his Golden State Valkyries within five years of their existence, but nobody expected them to make the Finals in just their second season. The WNBA’s newest franchise since 2008 is hosting Game 1 of the Finals against the Atlanta Dream this Saturday, and it’s happening at a pace even Lacob himself couldn’t have predicted.
Lacob’s Bold Promise That Echoed in the Bay
When the Golden State Valkyries were officially introduced as an expansion franchise three years ago, Joe Lacob, the owner who bought the NBA’s Golden State Warriors in 2010 and paid a record-setting $50 million for the Valkyries in 2023, threw down a gauntlet. He made a bold proclamation, echoing his earlier success with the Warriors. “First press conference with the Warriors, I said we will win a championship in the first five years,” Lacob said, “I’m telling you right now, we will win a WNBA championship in the first five years of this franchise.” It was a huge statement, especially considering the Warriors had only won 29 and 26 games in the two seasons before he bought them, and then went on to win their first title in 1975, adding four more in the Steph Curry era.
From ‘Just an Idea’ to the Finals in Record Time
At the time of Lacob’s fiery declaration, the Valkyries were truly little more than a concept. They were still seven months away from hiring Ohemaa Nyanin as their general manager, a full year out from bringing in Natalie Nakase as their coach, and a staggering 14 months from actually having any players on the roster. While Lacob’s track record with the Warriors made it tough to dismiss his ambition entirely, few outside of the Bay Area truly believed the Valkyries would follow suit, let alone reach the Finals in just their second season. Even Lacob, a staunch believer, admitted his surprise this week: “To do it in two years, no one could sit here and tell you that would be something they would predict. No one, not even me.” He chalked it up to “a perfect confluence of events and people and experience and timing.”
Setting the Bar Sky-High From Day One
Lacob’s willingness to make such a bold, potentially ridiculed, statement wasn’t just for show. It established an incredibly high standard and a fiercely competitive culture right from the jump. Coach Natalie Nakase, hired in 2024, recalled her very first conversation with Lacob. She said that for the “first 10-15 minutes, he’s just telling me, ‘I’m about achieving goals.’” According to Nakase, Lacob laid out his philosophy: “‘What I do is I set my goal really, really, really high, and then I create a plan and then I wo[rk].’” That clear, demanding vision clearly paid off, and now the Valkyries are ready to prove Lacob right, albeit on a much faster timeline than anyone dared to imagine.
Game 1 of the WNBA Finals is set for Saturday, with the Valkyries hosting the Atlanta Dream. The league is watching to see if this incredible two-year run culminates in the ultimate prize.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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