17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Ali Wong celebrates Golden State Valkyries' WNBA debut
Ali Wong showed up to Ballhalla as the Golden State Valkyries made their official WNBA franchise debut, and the crowd went wild.
The San Francisco-born comedian was shown on the jumbotron at Chase Center during the Valkyries' 84-67 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday, May 16. She later reposted a 20-second clip to her Instagram story that showed her waving, blowing kisses and forming a heart with her hands as the sold-out crowd of 18,064 screamed throughout the arena.
'Congrats to @valkyries on your inaugural season opener game!!!' Wong wrote in an Instagram story she posted after the game.
The accompanying photo shows her from the back wearing a No. 19 Valkyries jersey with her last name on it (no player on the roster wears that number).
The Valkyries official Instagram account also shared photos of Wong sporting her jersey and posing for pictures.
Wong has long touted her love of the Bay Area, and recently was seen in the city dining with her boyfriend, comedian and actor Bill Hader, in the Financial District at Vietnamese restaurant Turtle Tower. This time around, she shared a photo of Holy Prawns, a shrimp dish from Gao Viet Kitchen & Bar in the Outer Sunset.
The 'Beef' and 'Always Be My Maybe' star has credited the city and the Punch Line Comedy Club for the beginnings of her success during her speech at January's Golden Globes, where she won for best stand up comedy performance for her fourth Netflix comedy special ' Single Lady.' She was back at the Punch Line in March for a string of 'Ali Wong: Work in Progress' shows.
Other celebs spotted at Chase Center on Friday night were mostly from the sports world. Golden State Warriors and Valkyries co-owners Joe Lacob and Peter Gruber sat courtside, as did Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, and several Warriors players, including Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Kevon Looney and Buddy Hield, who brought his children. Stephen Curry had planned to come, but reportedly couldn't make it 'due to a last-minute personal matter.'
Also flying in for the game was Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers, who employed Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase as an assistant coach when he was head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers.
