The Valkyries Gave US the Most Powerful Mother’s Day Imaginable

If there was ever a perfect way to spend Mother’s Day, it might just be this: heading to the 5:30pm Valkyries’ home opener, settling into the nosebleeds, and finding yourself surrounded by powerful examples of mothering everywhere you look. Say less.

As purple lights lit up the entire stadium, we eagerly climbed to the last row in Section 203, our beloved nosebleeds where the Ballhalla vibes are always in peak form, and asked a fan to share a quick quote. This fan, a mom named Ann Marie, smiled and enthusiastically said, “It’s my first time!” Cheers to this nosebleed section mama spending Mother’s Day with her family high above the court, with her kids who were completely enthralled by the Ballhalla energy oozing up from below. What a beautiful act of role modeling: choosing joy, community, and women’s sports with her family on Mother’s Day. 

What a day to celebrate moms, or shall we say, what a week.  Earlier this week, we learned the major news that our favorite center, Iliana Rupert, is pregnant!

We have grown to love Ili for so many reasons: embracing her as one of the French trifecta of Olympic silver medalists, learning about her deep family ties to basketball (her father, Thierry Rupert, captained France’s national team before tragically passing away young, and she wears his number in his honor; her brother, Rayan Rupert, now plays in the MNBA), swooning over her gorgeous wedding photos with fellow basketball player Mathis Dossou-Yovo, and watching her absolutely shine on the court, finishing the 2025 WNBA season ranked second in the league in three-point percentage at 44.2%.

With full hearts, we especially loved how Eric Apricot reported on Threads during the May 7 away game:

“Players talking to Iliana Rupert’s belly in time outs, it’s cute.”

And honestly? It really is. 

We are rooting for Iliana. Choosing parenthood mid-career isn’t convenient. Even when you know that the law protects you, that most people will be happy for you, and that the world will keep spinning while you’re gone, it’s not fun to tell your boss (or fans?) that you’ll be out. As mid-life elders of the matriarchy and parents ourselves, we send Iliana fist pumps and honor her taking up space in the way that is right for herself and her family. 

And as the saying goes, there’s no one way to be a mother. Just last month new Valkyrie Gabby Williams posted an Instagram video documenting her experience of freezing her eggs. She wrote, “Freezing eggs was a decision made to grant personal autonomy over future life decisions. For athletes, the traditional timeline for life events doesn't always align, making foresight crucial. While initially unfamiliar with the process, undergoing egg freezing highlighted the empowerment women can gain by exploring their reproductive options on their own terms.” Bravo Gabby for speaking out on this private topic that begs further public reckoning and policy adjustment.  

In 2019, The Washington Post covered Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird breaking the silence around professional athletes’ fertility concerns by speaking out about the process of freezing their eggs. The Associate Press reported in 2020 that the players union estimated a half dozen players had gone through the process. So it’s no surprise that the WNBA players association prioritized fighting for family planning. The new CBA included “$20,000 for costs directly related to adoption, surrogacy, oocyte cryopreservation, or fertility or infertility treatment,” up to $60,000 in a player’s career. 

What’s more is that the CBA also supports Iliana Rupert’s maternity by paying 100% of her base salary and medical benefits, job protection (can not be traded unless she consents) and $750 for childcare per month, private breastfeeding, and breastmilk storage. Furthermore, while her salary counts against the Valks’ cap, a cap exception was granted to the team to make room for a replacement contract. On that note, the Front Office signed Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda to a replacement contract for Iliana. 

This is what happens when a bunch of women play sports, and they are supported by other women cheering them on to demand what they need with a “go-ahead and strike, we’ve got your back” attitude. Add in their kick-ass union leaders, a Nobel Prize-winning economist advocating on behalf of the players, and a fight that led to 400% salary increases and expanded benefits, and you get something powerful. 

Women supporting women works! And so we were not surprised that Ballhalla was full of that collective matriarchal goddess Valkyrie power on Mother’s Day night. 

On Sunday, a Mother’s Day gift came at halftime, courtesy of Oakland’s very own Sheila E. For the Baby Boomer and Gen X crowd, this was a direct portal back to our cassette tape days. And what a joy it was to watch this icon, now in her late sixties, bouncing and running around the stage (the court) with endless energy, singing and drumming (standing up), inspiring us all to have fun, take care of bodies, and keep making art every moment that we can. 

Ballhala erupted when our beloved MC, Ari Waller, welcomed her own mother onto the camera to show us a few dance moves, and flex her muscles. A beautiful portrait of motherhood. For those of us who adore Ari for the way she commands a room – the entire hall of Ballhalla – with her voice, her vibes, and her fits, it was especially meaningful to glimpse where some of that brilliance, and strength, began. Ari indeed “shakes what her momma gave her” with charisma, grace, and joyful leadership.

And we were especially grateful for our own moments as moms with our kids in Ballhalla. They've been on the journey from the beginning, proudly returning this year with crinkled pom-poms from last season. 

As we watched this team come alive on the court, it felt fitting to think about all the mothers behind these players. The women who raised them, encouraged them, drove them to practices, sat in bleachers, washed uniforms, and believed in their daughters.

And what a game they gave us.

As Max Gardner, one of our fellow nosebleed interviewees, reminded us, something new seems to be brewing with this team. As Coach Nakase said proudly post-game, “This is why it’s important to bring a lot of players back, because I look them in the eyes and you tell they weren’t phased … They know the times when we need to push it or settle it. It just all comes from another year together.” 

They looked experienced. Locked in and connected. Only 8 women took the court to grab another W in their first official home game of Season 2. Janelle Salaün was shining AGAIN, with her second game in a row above 20 points, this time with 21, 11 of them in the 4th quarter to seal the deal. L.A. showed she’s not developmental (33+/-), VB body-plowed through feisty defense elegantly drawing fouls with ZERO turnovers, KT showed her knee works more than just fine, weaving between defenders for lovely finishes (19 pts), Kaila Charles played the most minutes of anyone on the team (33!), stepping up to fill Tip’s shoes (injured with dislocated pinky). In the locker room afterwards, Gabby Williams declared to her team, “That was the most fun I had in a game, ever.” 

To the women on this team.

To the mothers who helped shape them.

To the fans who filled Ballhalla in a sea of violet T-shirts and, as always, brought the noise.

Tonight, we raise our infinite glasses of Pepsi to you all. (Never thought I’d say that over champagne, but Chase Center has free soda re-fills!) 

Happy Mother’s Day from the nosebleeds, where the seats may be high, but the gratitude runs even higher.