I ran into Natalie Cheng at the Ferry Building. She was with her sister and kids grabbing pastries. To Natalie, what makes the Bay’s women’s sports scene special is how they’ve been able to develop so quickly.
“ We have a lot of talent here in the Bay Area. Wonderful, wonderful coaches and staff organization that just built up. From the bottom up,” says Cheng.
When the Athletic asked its cohort of women’s sports writers to name what made a great women’s sports city… the answer came down to one word: “Vibes.”
Jim McGivern agrees. He’s a big fan of women’s sports, particularly soccer.
“I think the women's attitudes to the competitiveness is, is, is a little easier to take. There's a lot of good sportsmanship with women. They get it,” he says.
According to a poll from Vox Media, fans of women's sports are seeking more meaningful experiences out of their sports fandom—like inspiration, empowerment, and a sense of community.
Max Balcom, who was at the Ferry Building with their parents, has also felt that X-factor.
“I really, I kind of like the Valkyries more than the Warriors right now, just like the way the vibe is and stuff,” says Max. “So it's, it's a lot more like hip. I don't know. It's cool. I like it.”
For Max, so much of that vibe came down to how the Valkyries rolled out their narrative and team mythology.
“I mean they have like this cool like, uh, kind of like, what would you, like Valhalla? You know, but it's ‘Balhalla,’” says Max.
Ballhalla, or as it’s otherwise known, The Chase Center, saw an average of 18,000-plus at every game. In just its first year, the Valkyries' topped the WNBA average attendance this season.
The Valkyries aren’t alone in their record-setting attendance. San Jose’s Bay FC broke the National Women’s Soccer League attendance record this year with over forty-thousand fans at Oracle Park for their game against the Washington Spirit.
Max’s mom, Nicole Balcom, thinks that this is just what the Bay’s all about.
“I mean, it is Bay Area,” she says. “It's not just San Francisco and it's not just Oakland. I think it's a collective, so I think it's really kind of cool how everybody comes together as a general area.”
Both Balcoms are feeling excited about the state of women’s sports in the Bay. However, Nicole wants to see a few changes. Or at least one.
“I think that they should get paid along the same levels as men, but you know, I'm sure that will soon come.”
This Saturday, Bay FC will welcome women’s soccer fans from across the country for the national championships. It’s the first time this event is being hosted in the Bay Area.
