WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries Name Sephora as Founding Partner in Multiyear Deal

The league’s newest franchise, based in the Bay Area, continues building buzz ahead of its inaugural season.

The Golden State Valkyries’ Sephora Performance Center / Courtesy of The Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries are redefining what it means to build a franchise from day one. As the WNBA’s 13th and newest team, they’ve just added a major player to their roster: Sephora. The beauty giant joins as a founding partner, bringing star power, deep Bay Area roots and a whole lot of sparkle to the team’s inaugural season.

As part of the deal, Sephora becomes the official beauty partner of the team and earns naming rights to the team’s 31,800-square-foot Oakland-based training facility, now called the Sephora Performance Center. The partnership also includes presenting sponsorship of the Valkyries’ Content Day and Training Camp.

“Partnering with Sephora is a natural fit for the Valkyries. They are not just a beauty leader, but a company with deep Bay Area roots like us,” said franchise president Jess Smith in a press release. “From our state-of-the-art Sephora Performance Center in Oakland to the unique content we’ll create, this partnership brings tangible benefits to our players while giving fans unprecedented access to the team during our inaugural season.”

The sleek, state-of-the-art facility will feature Sephora-branded design throughout—from the basketball courts and recovery zones to the locker room and lounge. Players will also wear Sephora’s logo on their practice jerseys, seamlessly blending elite sports with prestige beauty.

Sephora Performance Center / Courtesy of The Valkyries

“We are thrilled to be a founding partner of the Golden State Valkyries and support a team that is committed to women’s empowerment, self-expression, and excellence,” shared Sephora U.S. chief marketing officer Zena Arnold. “Joining forces in our shared Bay Area home underscores the strong alignment between our brands, and we are proud to see Sephora represented in both a physical space and with an organization where confidence and performance thrive.”

In true Valkyries fashion, the partnership goes far beyond branding. Fans can look forward to exclusive behind-the-scenes access and a dedicated season-long digital content series via the team’s channels. Sephora will also have a visible presence at the Chase Center, the Valkyries’ home court, with an in-arena kiosk offering curated products and a Sephora Sounds DJ booth highlighting underrepresented emerging artists.

Sephora joins an impressive lineup of founding sponsors, including CarMax, JPMorgan Chase and Kaiser Permanente, reinforcing the team’s commitment to innovation, community and culture.

The partnership announcement follows the Valkyries’ exciting milestone achievement of selling 10,000 season tickets—a first for a WNBA expansion team—and just weeks ahead of the franchise’s inaugural game on May 16 against the Los Angeles Sparks. Natalie Nakase also makes history as the first-ever Asian American head coach in the league.

The Valkyries are already emerging as a cultural and commercial force. This groundbreaking partnership sets a fresh standard for the intersection of women’s sports, fashion and beauty. From tipoff to touch-up, the team can count on Sephora to help them (literally) get their game face on.