SAN FRANCISCO — Kate Martin turned toward the crowd at Chase Center on Tuesday night and waved her hands up and down, bringing the Golden State Valkyries fans to their feet and eliciting a thunderous cheer that bounced around the 18,000-seat arena.
Ever since the WNBA announced 19 months ago that an expansion team was coming to the Bay Area, there has been a buzz around the city — whether it was fans wearing team gear before any players had been selected, or the franchise surpassing 15,000 season-ticket deposits, becoming the first team in women’s sports history to do so prior to its first season.
The anticipation built up to Tuesday’s preseason opener — the first game in franchise history, the first bucket, the first everything.
As the first WNBA expansion team since 2008 — and one whose ownership group has a history of providing whatever resources are needed to be successful — a lot of eyes are on the Valkyries as they navigate their inaugural season. Like he did when he purchased the Golden State Warriors in 2013, majority owner Joe Lacob proclaimed the…
