Things happen inside Ballhalla, the nickname for the Chase Center during Golden State Valkyries games, that don't happen anywhere else. The song "Blow the Whistle" plays before games, during them and almost at any moment. During a break in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, recording artist Too Short, an Oakland native, asks his famous question, and the sellout crowd of more than 18,000 responds with his Bay Area drawl.
"The best part is how generational it is," Too Short told ESPN. "That the senior citizens, the moms and dads, and the kids, everybody knows it." The arena's name is a play on Valhalla, the Norse resting place for great warriors. Ballhalla has become famous for having the most raucous environment in the league. It has sold out for every home game in the franchise's existence, and the Valkyries became the first team in WNBA history to average over 18,000 in attendance per game.
Fans show their energy in other ways too. Violet T-shirts are placed on every seat before Finals games, and fans not wearing them can be shown on the videoboard and playfully berated by the in-arena host. The noise is constant. The league posted decibel measurements from Game 1, with a Gabby Williams corner 3-pointer reaching 114.5 dBA and a Kaitlyn Chen triple hitting 114.7. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders says long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss.
The only time Ballhalla quiets down is during free throws. Even after a Game 2 loss, fans stood and cheered until the entire team had left the court. The Valkyries return to San Francisco for Game 5 of the WNBA Finals with the series against the Atlanta Dream tied 2-2, and their fans are expected to show up big again.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing