Warriors Owner Turns New Team Into Most Valuable WNBA Franchise

Last February, at an event over NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, Golden State Warriors owner and venture capitalist Joe Lacob told an audience of investors, executives, athletes and media that he expected the first $1 billion franchise in women’s sports wasn’t far away. At the time it seemed slightly outlandish, a bit of casual bluster from a billionaire talking up his own portfolio: Lacob also leads the ownership group for the WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries, the league’s newest team, which just completed its first season. He bought the franchise in 2023 for a $50 million expansion fee, then ...