NFL
By: Ashmere Prasad
The Valkyries sold out every game this season. So, it wasn’t surprising that the Bay Area showed up on Wednesday afternoon for the championship parade. The ceremony started in Oakland, where head coach Natalie Nakase and the players gave speeches celebrating their victory. Everyone was happy. Nakase was swearing a little, and the vibes were at an all-time high.
The team took a ferry across the Bay and docked at the Embarcadero, where fans welcomed them. Honestly, the idea of uniting the Bay by having the team take the ferry is one of the coolest concepts, especially when the weather is at its peak in November.
Champagne showers rained down up and down Embarcadero, and every float blasted ‘Thizzle Dance’ or Too $hort songs. Kehlani appeared in a beautiful teal Chevy Impala, waving purple and black pom poms. Festus Ezeli joined the festivities and partied on Kayla Thornton, Kaila Charles and Tiffany Hayes’ bus. The second-year team was in awe of how the fans showed up to support their victory.
Everyone emptied their bus and walked the parade route, signing autographs and taking photos with fans; head coach Natalie Nakase signed any and every piece of Valkyries gear she saw for at least 20 minutes. She wore a shirt with her face on it and a jumble of symbols showcasing her colorful vocabulary.
Fans held up signs that read, ‘I skipped school to be here, 94 feet, two hoops and each other and for the Gays!’ It felt very poetic to see the younger generation show out for a parade celebrating the Bay Area’s newest women’s sports team.
I remember skipping school in high school when the San Francisco Giants won their first championship in 56 years in 2010. The schools sent out a letter saying all absences and ‘doctor’s notes’ would not be accepted, and every student unaccounted for would get detention. * Spoiler alert:* We did not get detention.
This championship run is just the beginning for this team. Seven months ago, they made two roster moves to prove they wanted to be contenders for years to come; they signed Bay Area native Gabby Williams, who won the Finals MVP, and Kiah Stokes, who set a new record for blocks in the WNBA playoffs.
“The best is yet to come, of course,” Lacob said. “What we did, it’s really amazing. We can be so proud of it … but we’ve got everything it takes to do this again. And we are going to do it again.” (ESPN)
