Valkyries become first women's pro team valued at $1 billion

Golden State just made history in a way no women's team ever has. The Valkyries — who tipped their first WNBA game in 2025 — clear a $1 billion valuation in CNBC's official 2026 WNBA team valuations released this week. It's the first time any women's pro sports franchise has hit that number.

The Liberty came in second. The league average is $310 million; the floor is $245 million. To put it in context: when the WNBA expanded into Golden State, the entry fee was $50M. One season later they're worth twenty times that.

This isn't just a vanity number. It's also a leverage number — the WNBPA is in the middle of CBA negotiations, and team valuations are one of the inputs that drive what the players can fight for. A'ja Wilson already got the league's first $5M supermax this offseason. Expect more of those.