34-year-old content creator and social media strategist Ryan Gordon was determined to travel to the Bay Area to see his favorite WNBA team, the Golden State Valkyries, play their first Finals game in franchise history. Gordon has been a WNBA fan for about eight years and started working around the league in 2019, beginning by capturing player arrivals and in-game content for ‘WNBA Kicks,’ covering the Washington Mystics’ championship run. In his current role, he is a Senior Manager of Social Strategy for the Women’s Sports division of ‘The Team’ agency. He first fell in love with the Valkyries during their inaugural season, witnessing them win at a historic pace for an expansion franchise. What truly stood out to Gordon, however, was the team’s passionate, sold-out crowd, which has filled every home game in franchise history. Based in Atlanta, Gordon wanted to experience that energy firsthand and document it in a YouTube vlog. On Oct. 3, he launched a social media campaign, “Can I get to the Bay?” in which he was able to raise money through a “GoFundMe” account that helped him pay for the trip. As the Valkyries kept winning, a unique opportunity presented itself: the chance to see the team’s first WNBA Finals game. 

“I’ve liked the team for so long, and the fans came together,” Gordon said. 

After visiting Chase Center on Saturday, Gordon has been to 14 of the WNBA’s 15 arenas, including the newest expansion teams, the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo. According to Gordon, Ballhalla was unlike anything he had ever experienced. 

“It was incredible,” Gordon said. “From the airport you could feel the energy of the culture there. The closer I got, the more fans I saw.”

Gordon took public transportation into the city and followed a sea of violet merchandise to his destination. He noted Thrive City’s unique environment, where fans can socialize, eat, drink, and vibe out to music before entering the arena. 

“This is just different,” Gordon said. “Nowhere else can you go with an influx of people outside the arena.”

First, Gordon had to get his own Valkyries merchandise from the Golden State Shop. Then, he got food and drinks at Splash. Finally, for his postgame meal, he ate tacos at Señor Sisig. 

As he entered the arena, a fan handed him earplugs, warning him he might need them because it would be extremely loud. In retrospect, Gordon might’ve underestimated how loud it would be, joking that he “should’ve worn those earplugs.” 

“It’s so loud, the people are really passionate,” Gordon said. “Within the fandom, there are subsets of culture. Some people like to dress up, some like to make arts and crafts. One lady bottled up the streamers that fell at the end of the game. This is just different.”

Gordon was treated to an absolute thriller in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at Ballhalla, as the Valkyries rattled off the final seven points to win 68-64. In many ways, Gordon sees Ballhalla’s atmosphere and energy reflected on the court. 

“The mentality, a team of underdogs, people that were overlooked, all the way up to Natalie [Nakase],” Gordon said. “This community is going to propel them to getting a trophy. There are so many passionate people, and that’s part of the equation.” 

Gordon will soon post his YouTube vlog documenting the entire experience on his channel, “Ryaniscontent,” which is also his handle on Instagram, X, and TikTok. Fans can experience Ballhalla on the WNBA Finals stage for themselves by getting tickets for Game 5 at Chase Center on Monday, Oct. 26, and Game 7 (if necessary) at Chase Center on Saturday, Oct. 31. 

Ballhalla will also host official WNBA Finals watch parties, presented by Kaiser Permanente, for Games 3 and 4 inside Chase Center, showing the game live on the arena's video board. Fans can expect a similar atmosphere of passionate fans with familiar in-game activations. The watch party will feature your favorite emcee, Ari, DJ Shell Heart bringing the Bay Area vibes, and entertainment from the Violet Vibes, The Flock, and Violet.