The Golden State Valkyries walked into Chase Center on Sunday as champions, but the reception they got during the Warriors-Clippers game was anything but electric.
Just one day after making history by becoming the fastest expansion team to win a championship in American major sports leagues, the Valkyries were back in the building for a brief on-court recognition. Their title came after a dramatic Game 7 win over the Angel Reese-led Atlanta Dream in this year’s WNBA Finals, with Gabby Williams putting together a huge performance that earned her MVP honors. She finished with 30 points, including 28 in the second half.
Saturday night had been a packed-house celebration for the Valkyries, but Sunday’s atmosphere was far different. During a timeout, the Warriors brought the team onto the floor to present the trophy to fans, and the moment quickly turned awkward.
The female MC tried to pump up the crowd and get a louder reaction, but the noise never really came. The players stood there with the trophy in a visibly uncomfortable scene.
Fans were quick to react online, and much of the criticism landed on the MC. “Well this was embarrassing,” one said.
“Female MC is cringe as f-k,” another wrote. “Nobody cared and that announcer was as cringe as they come. 🤡 show,” one added.
“If they wanted to get them off the court quickly, they could have started the national anthem,” another wrote. “They thought they were going to have a Milwaukee Brewers in Green Bay moment,” one joked.
Golden State still handled business on the court, beating the Clippers 124-112. But the night’s most talked-about moment came during the timeout, when the champions were introduced to a crowd that didn’t give them much back.
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