An early WNBA Finals tip? No problem for Valkyries fans. Bay Area bars were open

SAN FRANCISCO — Hundreds of Golden State Valkyries fans packed Rikki’s Women’s Sports Bar in southwest San Francisco on Thursday morning.

They came for a party.

Over 2,000 miles away, their Valkyries tipped off against the Atlanta Dream in a potential championship-clinching Game 6 at 12:30 p.m. local time — or 9:30 a.m. in the Bay Area.

With a trophy on the line for the 2-year-old franchise, fans arrived as early as 7 a.m. Staff reported 30 minutes later, and the bar opened at 8:30 a.m. Some asked bosses to move shifts, requested PTO, or called in sick. One fan declined an on-camera interview, admitting they didn’t want their manager to find out why they skipped work.

There was community, cheers, chants … and breakfast. Purple and black Valkyries shirts, jerseys, and hoodies filled the room. An oddly purple-colored white rum drink made the rounds, while cheers ricocheted off the purple-painted walls of the mid-sized bar that calls itself “Mini Ballhalla.”

The only thing missing was a championship celebration.

That will have to wait until Game 7, when the series returns to San Francisco after the Dream tied the WNBA Finals 3-3 with an 80-69 victory.

“It was hard,” Valkyries fan Linda Rothfield said of getting up so early. “I knew I wanted to be here (early) to get in, but it was hard.

“It’s always a party here.”

Bars opened early throughout the city. The Chase Center hosted its own watch party on the plaza outside the arena. Kids skipped school. Workers played hooky. All hoping to watch the Valkyries win a championship.

At Rikki’s, fans watched with despair as Dream center Angel Reese buried her second 3-pointer of the game with just over five minutes remaining to push Atlanta’s lead to 74-55. Atlanta is now 16-0 in games in which Reese makes a 3. The second felt like a dagger.

Near the front of the bar, a fan opened the Ticketmaster app on her phone and began inspecting prices for Game 7. Out of the ensuing timeout, Valkyries star forward Gabby Williams scored a layup, one of her 26 points on the night, and the woman pocketed her phone to cheer.

Maybe no further money would need to be spent.

Instead, Atlanta finished the game shooting 44 percent from the field to Golden State’s 31 percent. The Dream made 13 3-pointers to the Valkyries’ seven. And Golden State, the WNBA’s top 3-point shooting team, succumbed to an early barrage and never found an answer.

In Atlanta, Williams downplayed any notion that the early tip affected her team’s performance, telling reporters after the game, “They play at the same time as us.”

Back in San Francisco, Williams’ supporters carried the frustration for her. They lamented how the powers that be scheduled a closeout game that forced fans to risk a write-up just to watch a potential series-clincher.

“It was really irresponsible and disrespectful that no one at the league or the teams has taken responsibility for providing such a terrible experience for fans,” fan Shelby Perkins said. “That being said, we take lemons, we make lemonade. As you can see here, we all called out sick. … It’s irresponsible, but we’re all going to make the best of it.”

“It feels bittersweet,” fan Andy Antezana said. “I would’ve loved for the networks to prioritize this game in primetime. Women’s sports are very important to us and a lot of people in the U.S.”

Opened in June 2025 by Danielle Thoe and Sara Yergovich, Rikki’s was named after late Bay Area lesbian bar owner and activist Elizabeth “Rikki” Streicher, according to the SF Standard.

Jerseys for the Valkyries, NWSL’s Bay FC, USL W league Oakland Soul, Bay Area Falcons (professional women’s ultimate frisbee) and Bay Area Breakers (professional pickleball) hang on the walls. And the televisions only show women’s sports.

The bar has since become the unofficial home for Valkyries fans during away games, no matter how early the tip.

Even in the second half, with Golden State trailing by as many as 25 points, a line still snaked outside with people waiting to get in. Others crowded around the front window, trying to catch glimpses of the TVs inside.

“It’s unbelievably exciting,” Nate Eddinger said. “We’ve been fans of the team from the beginning, and to see them get this far so fast is just incredible.

“And this feels like the best place to be today.”

“We have to do it with our people; with the Bay Area,” Lissa Koelzer said. “We can’t celebrate it anywhere else. Here at Rikki’s, obviously, the women’s sports bar. To enjoy these games, with other women and folks in the community, is so special.”

Despite Thursday’s loss, the opportunity remains to celebrate a championship in the Bay Area for the first time since the Golden State Warriors won a title in 2022.

With the Valkyries trailing by 11 and two-and-a-half minutes remaining, the woman who had pocketed her phone earlier reopened Ticketmaster again. She momentarily studied the prices, well into the hundreds of dollars.

She must have weighed the financial cost against the price of missing the moment. The same FOMO that got her out of bed so early Thursday morning.

She entered her card information and pressed purchase.

Game 7 it is.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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