Fans were allowed in at 5:30, and Brie Reddick of San Bruno, adorned in her own Valkyries T-shirt, was among the first to absorb the scene and has been waiting for a Bay Area franchise since the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA folded following the 2009 season after playing two years.

While the Golden State Warriors' regular season is wrapped up, Friday marked the start of a new hoops campaign at San Francisco's Chase Center. In front of a packed house, the Bay Area welcomed the Golden State Valkyries to the WNBA.