Chronicle Live: How the Valkyries took flight

Everywhere you look in San Francisco this summer, there’s lavender. It’s on hats, drenching sweatshirts, accenting truly excellent varsity jackets, a city-wide purple-washing thanks to the Golden State Valkyries and their remarkable debut season.Since tipping off in May, San Francisco’s WNBA expansion team has taken the city by storm. The Valkyries have sold out all of their home games, transformed the Chase Center into “Ballhalla” and positioned themselves within reach of a playoff berth.

Then there’s the matter of their valuation. Just three months after the Valkyries took the court, the team that owner Joe Lacob and co. paid $50 million to establish is valued at $500 million — the most in the WNBA.

How have the Valkyries captured San Francisco’s attention and catapulted themselves to record attendance and valuation in their first season? And as WNBA viewership explodes, how are play, refereeing, fan culture and player compensation evolving too?

Join the Chronicle live at Manny’s on Wednesday, August 27 at 6 p.m. for an evening about how the Valkyries have taken flight. Chronicle Sports Columnist Ann Killion will host the conversation with Chronicle Women’s Sports Reporter Marisa Ingemi, Valkyries President Jess Smith and longtime WNBA and women’s basketball writer Michelle Smith.

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