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Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Valkyries defeat Fever, 88-77, holding Caitlin Clark to 11 points and 3-for-14 shooting
The Indiana Fever weren't involved in any on-court scuffles following Tuesday night's skirmish with the Connecticut Sun. Officials also had a relatively smooth game amid scrutiny over how they've been calling fouls and allowing hacking among players. On Thursday versus the Golden State Valkyries, the Fever's struggles were of a basketball nature, resulting in an 83-75 defeat at San Francisco's Chase Center. The Valkyries did an excellent job defending Indiana star Caitlin Clark, who scored only 11 points on 3-for-14 shooting (0-for-7 on 3-pointers). The Fever began the fourth quarter with a 59-55 lead, but Golden State went on a 7-2 run to take an advantage and stayed on top for the remainder of the game. This story will be updated.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Valkyries Guard Julie Vanloo Is Expansion Team's Go-To Interpreter For International Players
Julie Vanloo smiled as the memory came back to her, and the nursery rhyme words from her childhood became familiar again and just flowed – a short phrase in French from her days as a schoolgirl in Belgium. Vanloo's ability to communicate in multiple languages has been crucial as the expansion Golden State Valkyries develop chemistry and find ways to make sure everyone can understand a given play or defensive set. Her teammates are often in awe. Part of an international roster on the Valkyries, Vanloo's language skills have helped everybody get comfortable on a team that has been changing by the week. Vanloo, Temi Fagbenle (Great Britain), and Janelle Salaun (France) are currently competing for their countries in the EuroBasket 2025 tournament. That has led to much mixing and matching for coach Natalie Nakase, who has counted on players like Vanloo making key assists on and off the court. The Valkyries (5–6) will host Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Thursday night in their sixth home game – all of them sellouts – at Chase Center. Vanloo will miss the fanfare of that matchup as she plays for Belgium – and she'll certainly brush up on her language skills while away. For Vanloo, a commitment to building her speaking skills became as important as her basketball talent as she dreamt of reaching the WNBA. She speaks English, French, Italian, and Flemish, the dialect of Dutch spoken in her home country. 'Slowly you step up to the next level, and when we go to high school and we're 12 years old, we really start to drill it, we start to learn it, both English and French,' she said. 'It's like six to nine hours per week we really learn English and French in Belgium. All of our series and even our cartoons are in English, we use subtitles for French, so that's how we actually learned the accent and everything. So that's for all the kids out there, language is important, it's an advantage. I think you are rich when you know multiple languages because it's just easy to communicate and to create a bond with people.' She didn't always love it, and she's not always perfect. But Vanloo has remained vigilant about learning. 'My goal was to come play professionally, to come to the league one day. If I have a goal, nobody's going to stop me,' she said. 'For basketball I was very, very motivated to learn languages.' Vanloo was selected by the Valkyries from Washington in the expansion draft last December. She is one of eight non-American players on Golden State's roster representing six countries – Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, and the UK. Kayla Thornton played in Korea and realizes the challenges of trying to live in a place where she doesn't speak the language. She tries to use a few words with her teammates when possible. 'I do pick up on some of the stuff because we do have Italians and we do have French,' Thornton said. 'When I do hear it I kind of do catch on, I do know a few phrases. Most of the time they teach you their lingo, and that's the bad lingo.' Vanloo's ability to share her basketball expertise and the basics takes pressure off Nakase. 'I think what's really helped is Julie can translate for all of them. Julie speaks everyone's language, so that's kind of been really key just how we can connect that way,' Nakase said. 'Imagine going to another country and you have no idea. When I played in Germany I really wasn't understanding, but I made sure I paid attention. So it's been nice to have Julie because she's listening, she's doing extra for a teammate.' Laeticia Amihere of Canada, a native French speaker who didn't make the opening game roster but has since re-signed with the team, counts on Vanloo. So does rookie guard Carla Leite, who's from France and is working to gain confidence speaking English. 'A lot of us speak French and a lot of us speak different languages, so to be able to use that on the court to our advantage I think it's been great,' Amihere said. 'And she's obviously helping out the French and the French are helping us all just work cohesively and try to find a way we can communicate easily. It's been cool hearing different languages in the locker room. I'm used to it. Some people may not be used to it, but I think it's dope.' Kyara Linskens is also from Belgium. She can relate to Vanloo's drive to reach the WNBA and do all the little things – like learning multiple languages – to get there. 'I realized (the importance) because I wanted this,' Vanloo said. 'I'm telling you, when I want something I'm going to do it until I can't.'
San Francisco Chronicle
10-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
SEIU's David Huerta is right: Immigrants helped get California the World Cup and Olympics, not Trump
As I watched TV coverage of the protests in Los Angeles on Friday night, I heard mention of a name that rang a bell: David Huerta. Hey, I know that guy. Huerta is president of the Service Employees International Union California. In L.A. functioning as a non-violent 'community observer,' Huerta was knocked to the pavement Friday night by law enforcement people, arrested, briefly hospitalized with a head injury, and charged with conspiracy to impede an officer. That's a felony that could get him six years in federal prison. When Donald Trump took office and promised to round up and deport millions of immigrants, I wondered how that take-all-prisoners crackdown might mar an otherwise delightful day at the ballpark. The SEIU represents, among others, about 3,200 workers at Bay Area sports venues, including Levi's Stadium, Oracle Park and Chase Center. And at just about every venue in the state. Imagine 40,000 fans at a San Francisco Giants game, with no janitors. Those toilet-paper dispensers won't refill themselves. The mountains of trash and stuff to recycle created in every game won't march themselves to the nearest landfill. From observation and from stories I've done, I am aware that many of the workers who make your ballpark experience so pleasant, who make it possible, are immigrants, and that at least some of them are undocumented. What effect would Trump's promised crackdown, or merely the threat of it, have on the ballpark workers, and on fans, and even on the players? Asking for everyone. If the ballpark bathroom is shut down due to lack of maintenance, Republicans and Democrats alike will suffer the inconvenience. So I contacted the local chapter of the SEIU and they hooked me up with Huerta for a phone interview. His words back then, in late February, seem fresh and relevant. And his place in the current national struggle gained more prominence as he sat in jail over the weekend in L.A. (He was released Monday afternoon on a $50,000 bond, without entering a plea.) While Huerta was behind bars, national labor leaders and politicians rallied to his defense. 'His arrest has ignited even the more conservative elements of the labor movement,' Veena Dubai, a law professor at UC Irvine, told the New York Times. 'If they can go after him, the head of the largest labor union in the largest economy in a labor-friendly state, who is the government not going to go after?' If you're a sports fan, you'd better hope they're not going to go after the lady hauling bags of trash out of a restroom at Chase Center. Whatever happens, it won't surprise Huerta. From our conversation, it was clear that he was expecting trouble. Back then, Huerta said of Trump's announced sweep, 'It's created what he wanted, which is chaos, fear and intimidation, right? And I think it's intentional on his part, it's what he's trying to do. But even though he's done that, the community, and workers in the community on a broader scale, have been preparing for that fear, intimidation and chaos. 'I think that although people are still in a sense of uncertainty, what we're seeing is that more and more people are facing that sense of fear head-on and really preparing themselves as much as they can to confront that.' For Trump's sweep to gain public support, the demonization of the potential deportees is essential. So Huerta surely was not surprised when Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump's deportation campaign, recently said our immigrant communities are filled with 'every kind of criminal thug that you can imagine on planet Earth.' Instead, it seems like they're just the good folks scrubbing ballpark commodes. 'The intent is to paint with a broad brush and label everyone a criminal,' Huerta said. 'That is not lost on the immigrant community. They know they are not criminals, they're working in the service sector, not just in sports venues but across industries, to make their contribution to the country and the economy, but most of all to provide for their families.' Huerta noted that the Bay Area, and the state, will be hosting upcoming major global sporting events — the CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer tournament in June and July, with matches at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara and PayPal Stadium in San Jose; the Super Bowl at Levi's in February; the 2026 World Cup, with matches in the Bay Area and L.A.; the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics in L.A. Those big-ticket events are already being trumpeted by Trump as examples of his ability to rule the sports world. 'I got the World Cup, I got the Olympics,' Trump bragged during a Memorial Day speech, about events already scheduled to be in California long before his re-election in November. California, Huerta said, earned those events, and without Trump's help. They are coming to California, he said, because of the state's vibrant economy and spirit, much of it created by immigrants and their labor. 'When you look at the Olympics, even the Super Bowl, these are great opportunities,' Huerta said. 'It should not be lost on anybody, and it's something that the president's going to have to recognize, is the fact that a lot of these events are in California for a reason — because of the prosperity and because of the fact that Los Angeles, in particular, is looked at as an international city, California is looked at as an international state. So I think it's going to be very interesting as we arrive at those events, what's going to be the posture of this administration?' The raids, the sweeps, whatever you want to call them, have started, and there is no reason to believe they will end soon, or ease up. Not with that army of alleged murderers and rapists on the loose. Not your problem? Maybe not, until the action comes to a ballpark near you. 'I think there are multiple impacts, especially at the sports venues, the chilling effect (the sweeps) can have just in general, in these public spaces,' Huerta said. 'If ICE workers show up, that can have an adverse effect on what are considered safe spaces. It's not just the impact it can have on the workers, but the impact it can have in general.' Will you be able to kick back and enjoy the old ballgame while masked, armed troopers are hauling away the people who were hard at work cleaning up your mess? You might get the chance to find out.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Valkyries set historical precedent with another sold-out crowd
The post Valkyries set historical precedent with another sold-out crowd appeared first on ClutchPoints. While the Golden State Valkyries lost their third game in a row after falling 86-75 to the Minnesota Lynx, they still made history. The Sunday night game marked the first time in WNBA history that a franchise sold out its first three home games with 18,000+ fans in the arena. It's been less than a month since the Valkyries made their debut at Chase Center, but it's clear the fans are passionate about their new sports club. Advertisement After the game, Valkyries' guards Kate Martin and Veronica Burton reflected on the overwhelming support from the Bay Area fanbase. 'It's honestly incredible,' Martin said. 'When you have a fanbase [that] just sticks through the highs and lows of the games and cheer you on, it really does bring us energy. Sometimes you need it if you've missed a few shots in a row. To have such supportive fans, it does help.' Even when the Valkyries have been down big, the fans at Chase Center have stayed engaged at these games. When Minnesota took a 22-point lead late in the fourth, few fans headed for the exits. If anything, the fans got louder. Whether it was booing the officials on unfavorable foul calls or erupting when Golden State chained together a few 3s towards the end of the game, the arena was buzzing through thick and thin. Advertisement 'It's a testament to the community,' Burton added. 'The investment [the organization has] poured into us. We're grateful, and it challenges us, and it raises us to a new level. We feel [the crowd] throughout the game, and we rely on them. We're grateful for a fan base that continues to support us, and hopefully that continues throughout the season.' It's early in the season, but there's no sign the Valkyries' hype train of slowing down anytime soon. Before the season, they were the first WNBA franchise to sell 10,000 season tickets. On top of that, the franchise had 22,000+ total ticket deposits they still have to work through. And with high-profile teams like the Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever rolling into town soon, Chase Center is expected to be at full capacity for the time being. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images One coach's theory on the Valkyries' massive fan interest The Valkyries' popularity is making waves not only in the Bay Area but also throughout the WNBA. Before the game, the Lynx's legendary head coach, Cheryl Reeve, acknowledged Golden State's early success with the fans. The most decorated coach in WNBA history offered her theory as to why the Valkyries' hype is so high so early on. Advertisement 'There's been so much newness in the league. I think the timing is great for an expansion team. Because you are a part of that newness,' Reeve said, referencing the surge in public interest in the WNA. 'So the direction that they chose, the persistence with which they decided upon an identity, and are committed to that identity, and what they are doing is what I think that I've noticed the most.' In the same press conference, Reeve also had high praise for first-time head coach Natalie Nakase. The architect behind the Lynx's four WNBA championships praised Nakase for establishing the Valkyries' on-court identity. 'Natalie's doing a great job… One of the things I always look at with a team when I'm watching them play is do they understand what their identity is?' Reeve said. 'If I don't, you kind of wonder if they know what their identity is. So it's very clear what the identity of the Golden State Valkyries is on both ends of the floor.' As painful as it's been on the court for Golden State in their 2-4 start, they're trending up. They've had their highs, they've had their lows. But Reeve's observations signal a bright future for Nakase, the Valkyries, and their fanbase moving forward.
San Francisco Chronicle
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Benson Boone announces San Francisco tour stop after viral BottleRock moment with Steph Curry
Pop star Benson Boone, fresh off a standout performance at BottleRock Napa Valley that had Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry singing along, announced he's bringing his American Heart arena tour to the team's home court this fall. The San Francisco stop at Chase Center is set for Oct. 1 and will be part of Boone's sweeping North American tour supporting his upcoming album 'American Heart,' due out June 20. The tour is scheduled to kick off in Saint Paul, Minn., on Aug. 22, and includes marquee stops at Madison Square Garden in New York, Arena in Los Angeles and Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, before wrapping in Salt Lake City on Oct. 8. At BottleRock over the weekend — which included headlining sets by Green Day, Justin Timberlake and Noah Kahan — Boone drew one of the festival's largest crowds with a high-energy set that included his viral hit 'Beautiful Things.' Curry, standing near the stage with his wife Ayesha, filmed himself singing along and shared the moment on social media. The NBA star, who was sidelined for much of the Warriors' playoff run after a hamstring injury in Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, appeared fully in off-season mode. A veteran BottleRock festivalgoer, he was back representing his bourbon brand, Gentlemen's Cut, which debuted at the event in 2023. Boone, 22, leaned into the spotlight in Freddie Mercury-inspired fashion: mustache, white tank top and acid-wash jeans. But it was his backflips that really set him apart from the other performers. Boone was the only performer at the three-day Memorial Day weekend concert to go airborne onstage. In addition to Curry, fellow Bay Area sports stars George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk of the San Francisco 49ers were spotted at Boone's set, joined by their wives, Claire and Kristin. Backstage, Boone spent time with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, while celebrities including Leslie Mann, Judd Apatow, 'Righteous Gem Stones' star Adam DeVine, 'Survivor' host Jeff Probst, tennis legend Serena Williams and Governor Gavin Newsom with First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom were seen enjoying the festival. 📸 Benson Boone e Dave Grohl, vocalista do Foo Fighters, via Instagram stories (_chrispotter). — Benson Boone Brasil (@BensonBooneBRA) May 25, 2025 Tickets for Boone's Chase Center show go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday, May 30. Presales begin earlier in the week through American Express and the artist's fan club. 'Beautiful Things,' now streamed more than 2 billion times on Spotify, earned Boone a Grammy nomination and the 2024 IFPI Global Single Award. He recently performed on 'Saturday Night Live' and made headlines at this year's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival with a surprise appearance by Queen's Brian May.
