The Golden State Valkyries had a crowded bandwagon before their first WNBA game on May 16, 2025. Given their stunningly precocious success, they are now followed by a train longer than Interstate 5.Among those with a seat is Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd. Appearing on the “Dubs Talk” podcast this week, the Oakland native expressed joyful surprise and admiration at the instant success of the franchise located in the backyard of his youth.
“You start always at the top, with ownership,” Kidd says, referring to Golden State CEO Joe Lacob. “And then understand they have an incredible coach (Natalie Nakase) that’s leading them. So, it’s been a lot of fun.”
Kidd, an unabashed fan of basketball at all levels, regardless of gender, founded in 2021 the Jason Kidd Select program for girls. The non-profit enterprise began in the Bay Area and this year expanded to Dallas, where he currently resides after 13 years as a player or coach of the NBA’s Mavericks. The goal, he says, is to take the program to the national stage.
JK Select holds youth camps for preteen girls and advances to North...