Back in 1994, a sophisticated, superb art-rock album was released; one embodying the adage that the quality of an album and the quantity of units sold often have nothing to do with one another. The album was an eponymous release by 3rd Matinee, a musical partnership between noted producer Patrick Leonard and Mr. Mister frontman Richard Page. Its lead track featured the lyric:

I don't care if you don't care
There's plenty of trouble everywhere
Spinning off into the air
I don't care if you don't care

The song came to mind this past Saturday, October 31, 2026, when, in lieu of attending any given Halloween soirée, yours truly was glued to his television watching Game Seven of the 2026 WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and my team of choice, the Golden State Valkyries. Yes, I was watching voluntarily. As were these two.

I make no apologies for being a Valkyries fan. I have been one since the day the team was spoken into existence. I have never been one to associate watching or not watching any given sport with moral or societal superiority, and I enjoy women’s basketball to a degree. Granted, it lacks the raw physicality of the men’s game. Therefore, by force, the women’s game, when done properly, emphasizes team play, with everyone working on defense and, on offense, setting screens and running movements to find the open player with the best shot, rather than simply bullrushing to the rim. Said athleticism can be fun to watch. But so is the more sophisticated approach.

The Valkyries have emphasized the team approach since day one. As an expansion franchise — remember, this is only their second year of existence — they have had no other choice. Golden State has no superstars. Instead, it has a roster overwhelmingly made up of players other teams deemed expendable and thus made available in the expansion draft, plus whichever free agents wanted to be playing more for winning and less for rubbing elbows with any given big fish in a small pond that is the WNBA’s penchant for promoting individuals over teams and the game itself.

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Yes, the league and most all of its franchises are a rambling train wreck that has yet to realize it's long since derailed. The Valkyries themselves are no strangers to facepalm-inducing quotes, as mentioned previously by Sister Toldjah here on RedState. But on the court, they have taken care of business.

Golden State’s opponent in the 2026 WNBA Finals was the Atlanta Dream, nominally led by the never-ending source of unintentionally hilarious quotes and proficient layer of bricks that is Angel Reese. Regarding her performance in the Finals, after the first three games, with Atlanta leading the best-of-seven series two games to one, we saw social media posts such as this coming from the She’s My Angel fangirls. Don’t ever change, Jemele Hill.


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After the series was over, social media was far more aligned with this sentiment.

I believe the expression goes something like “don’t write checks with your mouth that your actions can’t cash.”

I’d almost rather argue about why someone should give anything a self-aggrandizing lunatic conspiracy freak (do the initials CO mean anything?) credence than try to defend why I still watch the WNBA in general and the Golden State Valkyries in particular. Before continuing, I note that I also cheer for the Indiana Fever, half because I used to live in Indiana and half because Caitlin Clark is a joy to watch. Back to the Valkyries. I like watching them play. If I had a daughter, for a quality role model I’d point her in the direction of Veronica Burton on the Valkyries, an unapologetic Christian who in two years went from working out at the local YMCA, hoping for another shot at playing professionally after being cut by the Dallas Wings, to briefly playing for the Connecticut Sun, to being made available in the expansion draft because her career to date looked like nothing more than benchwarmer material. Since this is the WNBA, Burton’s status as a straight Christian probably didn’t do her any favors. Now, she is being fitted for a championship ring, a reward for doing her part in making a group of no-names — not a single Valkyrie made the first or second 2026 All-WNBA rosters — into champions.

I also note on a personal level that 2026 has been a wretched year, with a family bereavement and massive financial pressures due to various reasons beyond my control having weighed heavily on me. I need an outlet. Rooting for the Valkyries provides just that. And I’m not going to apologize.

Go Valkyries!