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NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2025 – Golden State Valkyries president Jess Smith has been named the inaugural recipient of the WNBA Business Executive Leadership Award presented by Deloitte, the WNBA announced today.
The new award recognizes a WNBA team president, nominated by their organization, who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in driving meaningful business transformation.
Teams submitted their business case for how the leader, and their team, excelled across four key business transformation categories including people and culture, revenue generation, stakeholder engagement, and innovation. All submissions were reviewed and voted upon by a committee of league leadership, led by Chief Growth Officer Colie Edison.
In Golden State’s inaugural season, Smith assembled a full-time front office staff of more than 60 employees dedicated to elevating women’s sports while fostering growth and retention opportunities across the organization. On March 26, 2025, the Valkyries eclipsed the 10,000-season ticket mark for season ticket holders of the team&#8217;s inaugural 2025 season, becoming the first WNBA team on record to hit this milestone. The Valkyries closed their first season by setting all-time WNBA records for both average attendance (18,064) and total attendance (397,408), selling out all 22 of their home regular-season games at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Smith also helped establish a robust roster of founding partners, including CarMax, JP Morgan Chase, Kaiser Permanente, OLLY, PG&amp;E, Sephora, United Airlines, Rakuten and Waymo. Additionally, the Valkyries sold merchandise in all 50 states and 70 countries.
Under Smith’s leadership, the Valkyries launched impactful community engagement initiatives. including an innovative partnership with Kaiser Permanente that generated a $25 [matching] donation to the Golden State Community Foundation for every jersey purchased. This program will donate the funds to Bay Area youth and has transformed merchandise revenue into a vehicle for social impact, funding research-based initiatives and coaching workshops designed to keeping young girls active.
Smith also oversaw the team’s local broadcast partnership, which introduced creative programming and community engagement activations, that gave fans unprecedented access throughout the season. The partnership extended the Valkyries’ reach to more than four million fans across Northern California.
Capping off a historic inaugural season, the Valkyries became the first WNBA expansion franchise to earn a playoff berth and the winningest expansion team in league history with 23 wins.
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Golden State Valkyries President Jess Smith Wins Inaugural WNBA Business Executive Leadership Award Presented by Deloitte

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Top 10 Plays of the Week

AP Recap

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Napheesa Collier made a go-ahead 18-footer with 1:24 left on the way to 24 points, and the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx rallied from a 17-point, third-quarter deficit to beat the Golden State Valkyries 75-74 on Wednesday night and move on in the WNBA playoffs.
Collier shot 10 for 16 and followed up her 20-point performance in Game 1 with a 14-point second half to bring her team back — and give the Lynx another chance to keep chasing that championship they just missed last year.
The Valkyries had one final chance with four seconds remaining following a shot-clock violation, and Cecilia Zandalasini couldn’t convert a jumper.
Kayla McBride made a go-ahead scoop shot for Minnesota with 2:48 to go after DiJonai Carrington connected on a 3-pointer from the left corner with 3:18 remaining to pull Minnesota within 70-69. McBride wound up with 18 points.
Veronica Burton had 13 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals as the expansion Valkyries nearly extended their special season. Monique Billings scored 15 points off the bench.
Carrington banked in a 3-pointer with 8:30 left that got the Lynx within 63-56 and McBride’s jumper made it a five-point game at the 7:19 mark before Golden State called timeout. The Valkyries immediately committed a shot-clock violation and McBride scored again.
The Valkyries, cheered by their raucous sellout crowd of 18,543, were in control for much of the game — unlike their 101-72 Game 1 defeat Sunday.
Billings rebounded her own miss just before the third-quarter buzzer, scored and converted a three-point play to put Golden State ahead 63-49 going into the final 10 minutes. But Minnesota kept creeping back.
After the final buzzer, fans chanted “GSV!” to celebrate a season in which <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/valkyries-playoffs-expansion-team-74b0020aa69c724036e4294d8eed93fc" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">Golden State made WNBA history</a> by becoming the first expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season.
And the Valkyries were unfazed playing in an unfamiliar venue for their first postseason home game. That “Balhalla” home-court advantage had to relocate nearly 50 miles south to the NHL San Jose Sharks’ SAP Center because the Laver Cup tennis showcase had booked Chase Center before Golden State had even been granted an expansion team.
Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski was one of the biggest supporters, sitting courtside with owner Joe Lacob and Warriors President Brandon Schneider.
Golden State lost all four regular-season meetings, three by double figures, so this one will both sting and show these women how close they are. Starting center Temi Fagbenle was a late scratch Wednesday because of right knee pain.
Valkyries <a class="Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement" href="https://apnews.com/article/natalie-nakase-valkyries-coach-of-year-998e958098170761eaa0307fddd93d0b" data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA">coach Natalie Nakase was recognized</a> before the game as WNBA Coach of the Year and Burton the league’s most improved player.

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Game Recap: Minnesota Lynx vs. Golden State Valkyries (First Round, Game 2)

First Round Game Recap

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Game Recap: Lynx vs. Valkyries (9/17/25)

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Highlights From Veronica Burton 9-Assist Game

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Monique Billings with 15 Points vs. Minnesota Lynx

First Round Top Plays

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Top Plays of the Day, 9/17/25

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Top Plays of the Day, 09/17/2025

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Golden State Valkyries Top Plays vs. Minnesota Lynx

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Golden State Valkyries 2025

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Justė Jocytė

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Shyanne Sellers

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Kaitlyn Chen

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2025

WNBA Draft 2025

Veronica Burton signed a Contract Amendment - Time-Off Bonus with the Golden State Valkyries.

Kayla Thornton signed a Contract Amendment - Time-Off Bonus with the Golden State Valkyries.

The Golden State Valkyries released Elizabeth Kitley.

Elizabeth Kitley signed a 7-Day Contract (1st Contract) with the Golden State Valkyries.

Pick	Name	Position	College/Country
5	Justė Jocytė	Forward	Lyon / Lithuania
17	Shyanne Sellers	Guard	Maryland / United States
29	Kaitlyn Chen	Guard	UConn / United States

2025 Draft Team Profile

Draft’25

Draft Picks

Team Transactions

2025 Draft Picks

In the News

Golden State Valkyries President Jess Smith Wins Inaugural WNBA Business Executive Leadership Award Presented by Deloitte

Top 10 Plays of the Week

Game Recap: Minnesota Lynx vs. Golden State Valkyries (First Round, Game 2)

Game Recap: Lynx vs. Valkyries (9/17/25)

Highlights From Veronica Burton 9-Assist Game

Monique Billings with 15 Points vs. Minnesota Lynx

Top Plays of the Day, 9/17/25

Top Plays of the Day, 09/17/2025

Golden State Valkyries Top Plays vs. Minnesota Lynx

Golden State Valkyries Top Plays vs. Minnesota Lynx