The Golden State Valkyries are just two wins away from making their first WNBA Finals appearance, but a massive venue conflict for Game 2 of the series could snatch away their home-court advantage. Rapper and singer Doja Cat has a concert locked in for Chase Center on October 19, the exact same night Game 2 of the WNBA Finals is scheduled to take place. This is a real problem, especially since the No. 2-seed Valkyries, who are up 1,0 in their semifinal against the Las Vegas Aces, would host Game 2 of the Finals in San Francisco if they advance, meaning they’d have home-court advantage against either the No. 4 Atlanta Dream or No. 8 New York Liberty.
Same Story, Different Year? This Feels Familiar
If this situation sounds like déjà vu, that’s because it totally is. This wouldn’t be the first time the Valkyries have faced a postseason arena conflict in their brief history. Last year, in their inaugural season, the team was forced to host Game 2 of their first-round series against the Minnesota Lynx a whopping 40 miles away at the SAP Center in San Jose, home of the NHL’s Sharks. Why? The Chase Center was already booked for the Laver Cup, a professional tennis tournament. That was the only home game the Valkyries even got to play in the 2025 playoffs, as they were eliminated in the first round.
Golden State president Brandon Schneider made a clear statement to SFGATE last year that they “will treat the WNBA playoffs the same way we treat the NBA playoffs.” He was clear: “Valkyries playoff games need to be at Chase Center, just as Warriors games need to be at Chase Center.” But he also suggested it would be easier to move a concert than a 12- or 13-day tennis tournament, saying, “If it was a concert, you would say, ‘OK, move the concert.’ But that clearly is not an option with this.” The Oakland Arena, where the Warriors used to play, was considered an option last year, but it was also booked due to a “property-wide private event.” The WNBA Finals dates were announced in early September, before the playoffs even started, with teams given playoff hold dates before the season begins. The Golden State Group owns the Valkyries, the NBA’s Warriors, and the Chase Center.
The Stakes: ‘Ballhalla’ and Home Court Edge
This potential conflict is a huge deal, especially because the Valkyries are known for having one of the best home-court advantages in the entire league. They wrapped up the regular season with a league-best 17,5 record at home. Not only that, they’ve sold out all 47 home games at the 18,000-seat Chase Center, affectionately known as “Ballhalla” to their fans. The higher seed gets to host Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 of the best-of-seven championship series, so losing Game 2 at home is a significant blow.
As of now, the Valkyries and Doja Cat’s representatives haven’t responded to requests for comment. On the bright side, the Chase Center doesn’t have any major events scheduled for October 17 (which would be Game 1) or October 18, and it looks clear from October 20,22. The Warriors’ regular season starts October 21, but their home games won’t conflict with any of the Valkyries’ possible finals home games. Doja Cat’s tour has her scheduled for Portland, Oregon, on October 17 and Sacramento on October 20, according to her website. The Oakland Arena and SAP Arena currently don’t have events scheduled on October 19, either. For the Valkyries, their immediate focus is winning two more games to secure that Finals spot. If they do, everyone’s going to be looking to see if “Ballhalla” will actually be available for Game 2, or if they’ll be on the road again for their biggest game yet.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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