After becoming the first expansion franchise in North American team sports to win a championship in their second season, the Golden State Valkyries hosted their 2026 championship parade in the Bay Area on Wednesday. The Valkyries began the festivities in Oakland, hosting a rally at Jack London Square before boarding a Ferry into San Francisco. When they arrived at the Ferry Building, a sea of Valkyrie violet greeted them as Ballhalla prepared to celebrate the team’s historic championship run. Check out all the sights and sounds from the parade below.

Kaitlyn Chen came prepared, immediately recording the atmosphere with her camcorder from the Ferry dock. Chen is a fan favorite and had several signature signs made of her. One leaned into the energy she brings on and off the court, “Chenergy,” and most played into her hilarious Halloween costume as she pulled up to Game 7 of the WNBA Finals dressed as a hot dog. Some fans followed suit, wearing hot dog costumes to the parade, and one sign read “Started as a weiner, now we here.” A true hooper at heart, Chen got in one last bucket, draining a deep jumper from her float into a pop-a-shot hoop. 

Tiffany Hayes donned a custom-made shirt that dropped some absolute bars — “Married to the floor, got that ring for sure. Ballhalla is heaven, Valks in seven.” Hayes has emphasized the significance of the Valkyries’ first championship ring, so much so that she shared aspirations to open a museum to commemorate the team. The first free agent to choose the Valkyries, the 14-year WNBA veteran was instrumental in helping this team reach the mountaintop. 

Kiah Stokes has won four of the past five WNBA championships, and she helped the Valkyries win their first in her first season with the franchise. At the parade, Stokes kept receipts of the doubters, wearing a shirt based on an ESPN graphic that had the Valkyries outside of the top-five odds to win the WNBA title despite having the second-best record in the league at the time. Stokes showed the first-time champs how it’s done, spraying champagne along the victorious path.

Veronica Burton has been the ultimate iron woman for the Valkyries, having played in every game in the franchise’s history. A leader on and off the court, Burton was a focal point of the parade, high-fiving fans and showing off the shiny championship trophy. One fan even recreated her iconic hairstyle, coining the look “Burton’s Bun.”

Finals MVP Gabby Williams carried that “MVP energy” throughout the parade, rapping the signature tagline from Too $hort’s “Blow the Whistle,” an anthem that consistently rang in Ballhalla throughout the playoffs. Williams leaned into her Bay Area roots, dancing to some of the region's top hits and holding onto her MVP trophy. She thanked Ballhalla for its infectious energy which she credited for her second-half takeover in Game 7 that clinched the championship. Ballhalla has been a consistent “sixth man” all season long and they showed out on Wednesday, with over 400,000 people estimated to have attended the parade.