The interest in women’s sports has been growing exponentially over the past few years and brands are not only noticing, but they’re excited and want to get involved. For a team like the Golden State Valkyries, this is huge. The Valkyries, which became the WNBA’s first expansion team since 2008, tip off in May 2025. Off the court, they’re partnered with brands like JPMorgan Chase (JPM), CarMax (KMX), and Kaiser Permanente.

This week on Yahoo Finance Sports Report, host Joe Pompliano talks to Golden State Valkyries President Jess Smith about the importance of brand partnerships and how much growing excitement there is from companies investing in women’s sports.

As the Valkyries continue to grow on the court in the coming years, Smith hopes to expand their brand partnerships as well.

“How do we come together to enhance our brands, create fan engagement, and really give the fans what they're looking for from both brands?” Smith asks. “When you're talking to the brand side of folks that have already invested in women's sports for many years, they're seeing that. They understand that our fans really appreciate their investment in women's sports. They understand that's progressing the world they want to see move forward, and therefore, the results are there for the taking. So it's really just getting started on the brand side when it comes to investment standpoints and I'm excited to see who else continues to come to the table.”

To hear more, check out this week’s episode of Yahoo Finance Sports report here.

Yahoo Finance Sports Report with Joe Pompliano, a vodcast brought to you by Yahoo Finance and Yahoo Sports, looks beyond the latest sports business headlines, analyzes all the need-to-know news - the teams, trades, and billion dollar deals - so you and your portfolio will win BIG.

Yahoo Finance Sports Report is developed and produced by Lauren Pokedoff.