San Francisco and the wider Bay Area are preparing for an unusual breakfast-time basketball showdown as the Golden State Valkyries get ready for Game 6 of the WNBA Finals against the Atlanta Dream.
Iconic buildings across San Francisco were illuminated in purple ahead of the matchup, while local establishments prepared balloons, banners, and special morning food offerings. With tip-off scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Pacific, a victory in Atlanta would allow the Valkyries to return home as WNBA champions.
The early tip-off comes after the league scheduled the game for 12:30 p.m. Eastern at State Farm Arena in Atlanta as part of a doubleheader with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, following late venue bookings. The unusual schedule has many supporters adjusting their morning plans to catch the broadcast.
“What type of Valkyries fan am I? One of the biggest,” said fan LaToya, who intends to watch the match up with her son. “I’m gonna be, cough cough, not feeling well.”
“I’ll be here, 9 a.m. I’ll be sitting right there,” said her son Ty.
In Oakland’s Jack London Square, Xingones is among dozens of venues across the region opening early to host watch parties. “It’s a little hectic, but we’ve gone a few rounds with these watch parties, so we’re excited to have them back,” said Xingones bartender Jose Guerrero. The establishment’s game-day menu features egg sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and a specialty drink, “Purple Rain,” which Guerrero described as a top seller during Valkyries games.
Across the bay in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood, Rikki’s Women’s Sports Bar is preparing an early morning menu for supporters. “We’ll have some biscuit breakfast sandwiches, vegan egg breakfast sandwich, and we’re going to do what we’re calling Violet’s waffles, so it’s waffles with a blackberry compote and then a mascarpone crème that is dyed purple,” said co-owner Danielle Thoe.
While enthusiasm remains high across the region, some fans criticized the decision to hold a Finals’ match up outside of a standard prime-time broadcast window. “I feel like they can move it, and they just don’t…women’s sports just don’t get enough recognition for how good these athletes are,” said San Francisco resident Bee Billagram. “They deserve a prime-time spot.”
Supporters gathering at local venues expressed optimism that the Valkyries will secure the win. “We’ve got it. We’ve totally got it,” said fan Laura Hitgins. “It’s not going to be easy, but we’ve got it. We’re done in six.”
In addition to bars and restaurants, fans looking for a setting closer to Ballhalla can attend an outdoor watch party at Thrive City, which will broadcast the game on the big screen outside Chase Center.
