Two former high school/D3 hoopers turned San Francisco teachers, moms, artists and entrepreneurs (we're tryin!) team up to bring you the podcast you didn’t know you needed — all about our brand-new hometown WNBA heroes: the Golden State Valkyries.
We’re here for the vibes, the victories, and whatever’s cooking at concession! Whether you’re a WNBA superfan or just here to figure out which Valkyrie to cheer for, this is your go-to pod for:
🏀 Player + coach back stories and behind the scenes
🍔 Chase Center eats + recs
🗞️ Bite-sized basketball updates (no ESPN deep scroll required)
🎧 Tidbits, laughs, and insider energy only Ballhalla locals can bring
“Valkyries, Say Less” is where Bay Area pride meets courtside fun. Press play and hang with us! It’s going to be a good time.
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In this episode, recorded from the French Alps and the Jersey Shore, we recap the Valkyries’ incredible winning streak (eight straight at the time of recording, including five consecutive road wins), talk about missing Ballhalla, announce the launch of our Court Queensbook club, reflect on the viral response to our Pride Game article, and then dive into the story of one of the Valkyries’ newest—not newest—players: Justė Jocytė.
Justė is a young Lithuanian guard who developed in France’s top professional leagues before becoming the Valkyries’ very first draft pick in 2025!!
Although she only joined the active roster this season, she’s been part of the Valkyries’ story from the very beginning and is firmly on basketball fans’ watch lists on both sides of the Atlantic.
We talk about her impressive basketball career thus far, what to expect from her moving forward, and even review a couple words we should all learn in Lithuanian.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own and not affiliated with the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries, or any official organization.
🎙 Co-Hosted by Raina Mast — multimedia artist, educator, musician, and of course...ex-High School/D3 hooper.
Season 2, Episode 5: Bonus Pop-Up Episode | Player Interviews, French Connections & Watch Party Excitement
In this special bonus pop-up episode (okay, it’s really just Episode 5!), Raina and Vanessa recap an exciting stretch of Valkyries coverage that included player interviews, press conferences, and a whole lot of French-speaking basketball fun.
We dive into our recent interviews conducted in French with Janelle Salaün and Carla Leite, sharing behind-the-scenes moments, standout takeaways, and what it was like connecting with these players in their native language. We are so thrilled to partner with MerciSF for this new adventure.
We also revisit two recent press conferences where Vanessa had the opportunity to ask Janelle questions in French, creating some memorable moments for French-speaking Valkyries fans, as well as the non-French speaking ones who love to see how Janelle's body language transforms when she speaks French.
Along the way, we clear up the correct pronunciation of Janelle's last name, as well as tackle the pronunciation of Justė Jocytė name and discuss why getting players’ names right matters, as well as why it's important to talk to them in their home language.
Finally, we wrap things up with details about our upcoming watch party:
Thursday, June 4 Valkyries vs. Lynx (Away Game) Rikki’s, San Francisco
We’re thrilled to announce that we have a new sponsor (Bailard!) who has generously provided:
Limited-edition watch party t-shirts featuring our logo, their logo, and the slogan “Everyone Watches the Valks”
A bar tab for attendees
First 50 fans are on Bailard!
Come hang out with fellow Valkyries fans, grab a shirt, enjoy a drink, and cheer on the Valks with us.
🎙️ Season 2, Episode 4: Kiah Stokes Brings Championship Energy to the Valkyries
This week, we spotlight the incredible Kiah Stokes in our latest player profile. Kiah comes to the Golden State Valkyries with a long and impressive résumé, including more than a decade in the WNBA with powerhouse organizations like the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces. Her arrival in Golden State makes complete sense given her strong connections to teammates, head coach Natalie Nakase and assistant coach Sugar Rodgers.
Beyond the WNBA, Kiah’s basketball journey includes legendary programs and international success, from University of Connecticut to Fenerbahçe Women’s Basketball. She’s someone who knows winning, values teamwork, and quietly elevates everyone around her every time she steps on the court. We love Kiah Stokes!
And yes… did we finish the episode with a mini curated San Francisco itinerary inspired by Kiah Stokes’ vibe and preferences? Yes. Yes, we did.
In this episode, we also recap our May 8th watch party at Rikki's Women's Only Sports Bar for the Valkyries home opener, plus our first community cleanup with Refuse Refuse. We’re doing it again on 5/25, so come help us clean around Chase before the game. Register here.
Also happening on 5/25: our first-ever poster-making session. We’ll bring the posters and markers, you bring the creativity, chaos, rhymes, and Valkyries energy. Meet us at Gott's Roadside at 5pm before heading into Ballhalla.
We also checked out a new local watch spot, Scarlet Fox, a cozy wine bar near the Panhandle that turned out to be a perfect place to catch the game if you're looking for something other than big sports bar energy.
🎙️ Season 2, Episode 3: Bienvenue Gabby Williams + Join us for Watch Party at Rikki's 5/8
Our first player profile of Season 2 is here, and we’re kicking it off with one of the most dynamic two-way players in the game: Gabby Williams.
French-American, fierce on defense, and fresh off her move from the Seattle Storm, Gabby brings an impressive résumé to the Bay: WNBA success, championships and standout performances in EuroLeague, and major contributions to the France women's national basketball team. In this episode, we talk about so many different ways that make Gabby such a unique and important part of our violet team.
We’re also inviting our Valks community to join us for our Season Opener Watch Party on May 8 at Rikki's! Come hang out and celebrate the start of the regular season together.
Plus: a special clip from Vincent Yuen of Refuse Refuse about upcoming community cleanup parties on 5/10 and 5/25 around Chase Center before the games. Building community means showing up for the city, too :)
Say less.
Season 2 is just getting started.
P.S. Thank you to our new sponsors: Kuli Kuli, SF Cocktail Club and Raina's orthodontist Dr Oviedo! They are providing us with product for our raffle and half-time giveaways during our Watch Party.
🎙️ Season 2, Episode 2: Recap Of Preseason Home Opener Game Vs Seattle Storm 4/25/26
Season 2, Episode 2 of Valkyries, Say Less is here, and we’re recapping the incredible preseason matchup between the Golden State Valkyries and the Seattle Storm on April 25, 2026.
This game was especially meaningful for us because it marked our first-ever media credentials. Tune in as we share what it was like navigating the Chase Center with full media access and stepping into the world of pre- and post-game press conferences.
We got the chance to hear from Gabby Williams, General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin, and Head Coach Natalie Nakase, and catch postgame reflections from Veronica Burton and Miela Sowah!
What a nail-biter, and what a way to celebrate our first W!
Special shoutouts to the Valkyries communications crew and Eric Apricot of Valkyrie Nation, Maya Goldberg-Safir of Rough Notes, and Kiki (Akilah Monifa) of Black History Everyday and Kiki's Universe for being so welcoming and showing us the ropes of the media world.
We could not be happier out here doing our best Murphy Brown impression.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own and not affiliated with the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries, or any official organization.
🎙 Co-Hosted by — multimedia artist, educator, musician, and of course...ex-High School/D3 hooper.
Welcome to Season 2 of “Valkyries, Say Less.” We’re launching on the very same day that WNBA training camp begins, and you can feel it… the season is here.
In this episode, we’re diving into it all. Training camp energy, roster moves, and the EuroLeague championship game featuring not one but two of our incredible Golden State Valkyries players. We’re also rewinding a bit, talking NCAA championships, the draft, the expansion draft, and everything that’s brought us to this moment.
And of course, we’re closing with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, because that’s what this all hinges on. We love our players, they got paid, and the season is starting on time. That matters!
Before we jump in, we just want to take a moment to say thank you. This community means everything to us.
Special shoutout to Sarah Deragon, the incredibly talented photographer who brought our vision to life and inspired us to launch our website, ValkyriesSayLess.com.
Shoutout as well to Vincent Yuen, founder of Refuse Refuse, who we’ve been lucky to collaborate with. We’ve got two city cleanups coming up at the Chase Center before the April 10 and April 25 games, so check out our events page and come join us, or register here.
And a huge shoutout to our home away from home, Rikki’s, the women’s sports bar in the Castro that’s been holding it down for this community!
Tune in. We’re just getting started.
Next episode: our first player profile, featuring our newly beloved- Gabby Williams.
🎙️ Season 1, BONUS VSL EPISODE 16: Mid Post-Season Update!
After two months of pure hanging out without hitting record, we finally reunited in our glorious Bunkbed Studios for a mid post-season check-in. It felt so good to be back together. Way overdue! And...in a twist for sesason 2, we are introducing video soooo check out this episode on our new ValkyriesSayLess YouTube channel.
We cover a lot in this episode, including the huge honor of the Valkyries naming Vanessa a "Keeper of the Realm", an award given to only five season ticket holders out of more than 11,000. We also talk about two incredible events we were lucky to be part of at Rikki’s, our beloved women’s sports bar in the Castro: the Chronicle Books reveal and an Unrivaled watch party hosted by the Valqueeries.
And finally, we check in on how we’re actually doing as well as give an update about the Collective Bargaining Agreement, because those both super matter too.
So tune in. Say less. Say more. We love our listeners, loved seeing so many familiar and new faces at Rikki’s, and we truly cannot wait for season two of the Valks to begin. 💜🖤🏀
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own and not affiliated with the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries, or any official organization.
🎙️ Season 1, Special Feature: Coach Natalie Nakase on "Section 415" with Kerry Crowley
We’ve teamed up with Section 415, the brand-new Bay Area sports podcast from The San Francisco Standard, to share their latest episode featuring an interview with Golden State Valkyries Head Coach Natalie Nakase.
Section 415 is hosted by sports editor Kerry Crowley and offers insider interviews, sharp analysis, and fresh reporting on local teams — including the 49ers, Giants, Warriors, and of course, the Valkyries. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday on all major podcast platforms.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own and not affiliated with the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries, or any official organization.
🎙 Co-Hosted by Raina Mast — multimedia artist, educator, musician, and of course...ex-High School/D3 hooper.
This episode is our last episode of this year's historical inaugural season for the Golden State Valkyries. We're gonna talk about so many things...where the players are going in the off season, the CBA negotiations, how to watch overseas games AND we're highlighting Kaitlyn Chen, our incredible rookie who was on the team, then off and then BACK ON! She sports jersey #2.
Tune in to learn why she's the best. We love you, KC! 🖤💜🏀
Thank you to our inspiring WBB community, especially our fellow basketball nerds out there:
Head to 30secondtimeout.com to get free daily women's basketball snippets of the most important news!
Connect with basketball lover and natural researcher Brianna Mitchell Carter on Threads: breezym91
Sign up for Eric Apricot’s smart substack column Valkyrie Nation
Keep supporting the players! Read more about the WNBA’s Players Association (aka their union) and the collective bargaining agreement process: https://www.wnbpa.com/thecba
Would you like to support the work of Raina and Vanessa? Please contribute to “Valkyries, Say Less!” to help us out with the costs of running a podcast. Or check out our other projects: Vanessa’s mindfulness program and Raina’s ceramics
🎙️ Season 1, Episode 14: “Kaila Charles Joins the Valkyries Mid Season then Starts in the Playoffs!
This episode highlights Kaila Charles, our dynamic guard/forward, and former Maryland standout, wearing jersey #6. She joined us mid season and has definitely left a big mark on our hearts.
Tune in to learn why she's the best. We love you, Kaila Charles! 🖤💜🏀
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own and not affiliated with the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries, or any official organization.
🎙 Co-Hosted by Raina Mast — multimedia artist, educator, musician, and of course...ex-High School/D3 hooper.
Follow along for more episodes and community love as we celebrate the Golden State Valkyries and everything they stand for!
💜 Follow us on Instagram & don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share if this brought some lavender joy to your day!
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The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own and not affiliated with the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries, or any official organization.
🎙 Co-Hosted by Raina Mast — multimedia artist, educator, musician, and of course...ex-High School/D3 hooper.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own and not affiliated with the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries, or any official organization.
🎙 Co-Hosted by Raina Mast — multimedia artist, educator, musician, and of course...ex-High School/D3 hooper.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own and not affiliated with the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries, or any official organization.
🎙 Co-Hosted by Raina Mast — multimedia artist, educator, musician, and of course...ex-High School/D3 hooper.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own and not affiliated with the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries, or any official organization.
🎙 Co-Hosted by Raina Mast — multimedia artist, educator, musician, and of course...ex-High School/D3 hooper.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own and not affiliated with the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries, or any official organization.
🎙 Co-Hosted by Raina Mast — multimedia artist, educator, musician, and of course...ex-High School/D3 hooper.
