Golden State's Jess Smith has prior experience running an expansion club from her time with Angel City FC of the NWSLWNBA Golden State
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Golden State WNBA expansion team’s inaugural season starts in May 2025 and there is “much to be done” before the team hits the court, according to Marisa Ingemi of the S.F. CHRONICLE. Warriors President & COO Brandon Schneider indicated that team branding would “come in the next two months,” but even without that, the team already has “registered 4,000 season-ticket deposits.” A GM and the rest of the front office will “likely be in place in the next six months.”
Golden State WNBA President Jess Smith has experience running an expansion club, as she had been with NWSL club Angel City FC before the franchise took the field in 2020. Citing the off-field success of that club, she “stressed the importance of having a vision at the start of the franchise building.” The Golden State WNBA team is owned by the Warriors, and that has “given it a head start in terms of infrastructure, with a world-class home court at Chase Center and established practice facilities at Oakland Arena.” Owner Joe Lacob said in October, when the WNBA announced the Warriors would be granted an expansion franchise, that he “expects to win a WNBA championship within the first five years of operation.” Ingemi wrote the combination of available talent and “willingness to spend to contend” could put the Bay Area team “in a position to succeed early” (
S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/1).
