Fans were allowed in at 5:30, and Brie Reddick of San Bruno, adorned in her own Valkyries T-shirt, was among the first to absorb the scene and has been waiting for a Bay Area franchise since the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA folded following the 2009 season after playing two years.

Sparks guard Kelsey Plum dropped 37 points to spoil the Valkyries' first WNBA regular-season contest on opening night.