For starters, Kate Martin, who the team selected in the expansion draft from the Las Vegas Aces roster, brought the energy and passion that made her so popular as a rookie. The Valkyries also got a huge outing from third-year player, Laeticia Amihere, who they claimed off of waivers after the Atlanta Dream waived her.

Golden State fans were fired up to see the Valkyries make their WNBA debut, as proven by the atmosphere and attendance at Chase Center.

The Valkyries rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit and tied the game two separate times in the second half, but fell just short in the end as Laeticia Amihere’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer cut the Los Angeles lead from four the clock hit zeroes.