
Sports Business
Jess Smith breaks down the Golden State Valkyries’ billion-dollar strategy
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May 15, 2026
The Golden State Valkyries may as well be in Valhalla (or Ballhalla, as they call it). Shortly after the team shared its season two promotional campaign, CNBC deemed the Valks a billion-dollar franchise — the first in women’s sports history.
That’s no accident. Valkyries president Jess Smith and her team have been busy building a juggernaut brand — and in a region full of fervent fans and powerful sponsors, that becomes a billion-dollar pursuit.
Last month, we spoke with Smith about the strategies she’s implemented to reach this pinnacle, as well as what’s going to keep the club climbing in year two.
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Earlier this year, players on a girls’ team had their privacy repeatedly violated when two members of a U-13 boys’ team entered their dressing room multiple times while the women were changing. A disciplinary panel later raised concerns not only about the incidents themselves, but how adults around the boys responded — including repeatedly characterizing the behaviour as an “unfortunate incident” rather than treating it as an opportunity for accountability and education. Inspired by Rick Westhead’s reporting, today co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz discuss what happened, the troubling “boys will be boys” response, and why changing hockey culture has to start long before players reach the pros.





















