Inspired by Joe Pompliano’s original reporting in Huddle Up.
In 2010, Joe Lacob and Peter Guber paid a then-record $450 million for the Golden State Warriors—an NBA team that was hemorrhaging cash and relevance. Today, that franchise is worth $9.4 billion. That’s not just a comeback story; it’s a masterclass in sports business strategy.
Now, Lacob and Guber are applying the same methodology to their next big project: the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s newest expansion team. Their goal? Build the most dominant business model in women’s basketball—possibly all of women’s sports.
While much of the public narrative is centered on Caitlin Clark’s generational impact on the WNBA, seasoned operators in the sports world are watching something else: how the Warriors are quietly constructing the WNBA’s first superclub, from the boardroom outwards.
1. Real Estate Leverage: World-Class Infrastructure, Zero Build Time
The Valkyries will play at the Chase Center, arguably the most advanced sports arena in North America. They’ll also train in a 31,800 sq. ft. facility previously used by the Warriors. No need for new construction. No delays. Just plug-and-play excellence.
Consulting Insight: For emerging sports properties, co-locating with existing elite infrastructure is the ultimate shortcut to professionalism. We help brands and leagues identify underutilized assets and turn them into performance accelerators.
2. Built-In Operational Excellence
Everything from ticketing to analytics to legal will be handled by the Warriors’ existing staff. This isn’t cost-cutting—it’s a strategic consolidation of talent, built on years of iteration.
Their email marketing engine alone can hyper-target buyers by behavior, location, and interest. They’ve already used this tech to reach 22,000 Valkyries ticket depositors—before the team ever played a game.
Consulting Insight: Whether you’re launching a league, team, or series, centralizing backend functions can reduce your burn rate and accelerate your go-to-market timeline. We offer clients strategic org design models to maximize synergies across multi-asset portfolios.
3. Commercialization on Day One
Before the first tip-off, the Valkyries had already locked in corporate sponsors like JPMorgan Chase, Kaiser Permanente, and Rakuten—all existing Warriors partners. But here’s what’s key: 95% of Valkyries season ticket buyers are notWarriors season ticket holders.
This isn’t cannibalization. It’s market expansion. Brands are paying for access to new fans. That’s how CPMs stay strong and sponsorship ROI grows.
Consulting Insight: We help sponsors understand the value of layered fandom. Not all fans are created equal—but new verticals like women’s sports unlock authentic audiences. We design sponsorship architectures that maximize incremental reach without duplication.
4. Bay Area DNA: Market-First Mentality
The Valkyries’ ecosystem benefits from the unique strengths of the Bay Area:
- A top-ten sports media market
- Affluent, progressive consumers
- Elite collegiate women’s basketball programs (Stanford, Cal)
- A community predisposed to innovation and disruption
Consulting Insight: We assist properties in aligning their expansion or franchise launches with macro-market trends—like tech integration, gender equity, and digital consumption. Picking the right city is just the start. Localizing the narrative is where real traction begins.
5. A Playbook That’s Already Proven Profitable
Everything about the Valkyries’ structure mirrors what made the Warriors such a success:
- Control your venue
- Own your performance infrastructure
- Build multi-vertical commercial partnerships
- Deploy data across every function
- Develop a distinct, localized brand identity
- Layer in championship ambitions early
In short: act like a billion-dollar business before you ever are one.
What This Means for the Sports Industry
The Valkyries aren’t just launching a team. They’re stress-testing the upper limits of what women’s sports can be when backed by elite infrastructure, seasoned ownership, and capitalized belief.
If it works—and early signals suggest it already is—it will raise the standard across all women’s leagues globally.
And here’s the kicker: you don’t need to be the Warriors to do it. You just need a clear strategy, sharp execution, and smart capital.
Looking to Launch, Scale, or Revamp a Sports Property?
Whether you’re building a new franchise, managing a league expansion, or looking to monetize underutilized assets—we help owners, rights holders, and sponsors engineer sustainable, scalable growth in the sports business.
Let’s talk. Contact us to explore strategic consulting engagements for ownership groups, leagues, or investors entering women’s sports, emerging markets, or franchise expansions.
Credit to Joe Pompliano’s original article on Huddle Up for reporting the core story. This piece expands on that framework with strategic commentary and actionable business insights.
