SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Valkyries’ logo will be visible around Chase Center during this weekend’s NBA All-Star festivities, and one of the team’s players, Kayla Thornton, will be part of the Celebrity All-Star game on Friday in Oakland.
You will hear from Valkyries players in a podcast recorded at the franchise’s training center in Oakland, and the WNBA expansion team’s brand will be featured in an exhibit located a short walk from Chase Center.
The Valkyries won’t play a game this weekend, their May 15 season opener is still a few months away. But that isn’t stopping the team from making its presence felt during the Bay Area’s NBA All-Star weekend.
“With our facility being used and our locker room being used, we’re going to make sure the WNBA, through the Valkyries, has the backdrop everywhere,” Valkyries president Jess Smith told the Bay Area News Group.
The WNBA’s last expansion team, the Atlanta Dream, didn’t have such a visible backdrop when it began playing in 2008. The NBA All-Star game that season was held in New Orleans.
“I feel like the stars have aligned, because this is already basketball central globally, if you ask me, watching Steph Curry play,” Smith said. “Now you have the NBA All-Star coming three months before launch? It’s an incredible opportunity to show people what they can expect from us come May.”
On Friday, Thornton will play for coach Jerry Rice in the Celebrity All-Star game at Oakland Arena, the Warriors’ former home.
Thornton also is expected to participate in an NBA “Crossover” event at the Moscone Center that begins Friday and runs through Sunday. The event “will spotlight the league’s monumental expansion and build anticipation for the upcoming season,” according to a Valkyries news release.
On Friday, Valkyries free-agent acquisition Tiffany Hayes and second-year player Kate Martin, whom the Bay Area team selected in the expansion draft in December, will be featured guests on Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe’s “A Touch More” podcast.
The episode will be recorded at the Valkyries’ Performance Center in downtown Oakland.
During the recording, a new “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” clothing item – branded in Valkyries’ purple – will be debuted.
Golden State tabs director of performance
Golden State has named Lorena Torres Ronda as its director of performance.
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In her role, the Spanish native will be “responsible for designing the team’s health and wellness programs, while leading the development of evidence-based practices for player performance and recovery” according to the team’s news release.
“Building a performance department from a blank slate is an exciting opportunity,” Ronda said in a statement. “The Valkyries have shown a clear commitment to providing world-class resources for their athletes, and I look forward to creating a program that will help our players maximize their potential and stay healthy.”
Ronda was previously a performance coordinator for the Spanish National Basketball Federation. She also has worked with the Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs.
