“The execution of this startup, if you want to call it, I think is probably one of the best,” said Valkyries owner Joe Lacob. Inside the franchise’s success: nyti.ms/4wGwliA

Inside the Golden State Valkyries’ billion-dollar success that’s setting a new WNBA bar (Gift Article)

From anticipating player demands to creating a loyal fan base, the Valkyries are setting a new WNBA standard.

nyti.ms

The Valkyries, in their second competitive summer, have gotten a lot right in a hurry. ✅ A Sephora-sponsored practice facility ✅ A posh 18,000-seat arena ✅ On-call cat-sitters Golden State does what some others still don’t after decades. They are the glitch that is a feature.

I don't even know what to say. This is real, this is true, so, like, thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. This took over 25 years to happen so if there's any lesson here it's either "keep at it, who knows" or "many people are divorced"

in the fourth quarter, Janelle missed a wide open 3 after making a billion contested ones, because she is the funniest player alive and I love her

Matt Lively: "Tip Hayes, she just moved into 28th in the #WNBA all-time scoring list. What's it like to have a teammate like her? Janelle Salaün: "She's fucking good, what can I say? She makes everybody better." Matt Lively: "Apologies for that..." cr: @mattblively.bsky.social #Valkyries #GSV

For @valkyriesbeat.bsky.social, I think it's fine that the Valkyries were quiet at the trade deadline. www.valkyriesbeat.com/p/valkyries-...

Valkyries Insider: Trade deadline quiet for a team that believes in itself

Golden State didn't make a move, and they probably didn't need to at an overall slow trade deadline in the WNBA.

valkyriesbeat.com

So far the Firebells have looked like the most well-rounded team but I’m interested to see the Heights and the Queens when the conditions are better because I think that really hampered the players last night, especially defensively.

Firebells beat Hunters 11-3 for their first win in the WPBL. Standings after first weekend: Los Angeles 1-0 San Francisco 1-0 Boston 0-1 New York 0-1

if you ever wonder how open secrets about terrible behavior fester in Hollywood and nothing is done, there’s likely no one more qualified than the great @moryan.bsky.social to break it down. Here she is on Jared Leto and Hollywood’s post #MeToo playbook [gift link]:

Opinion | Jared Leto and Hollywood’s Open Secrets (Gift Article)

Whispers can fester for years before anyone faces consequences. And the tactics celebrities use to escape scandal have completely changed.

nytimes.com

Ken Paxton has spent months calling James Talarico a soyboy vegan and religious extremist. It isn't working: He's getting killed in fundraising, his scandals are mounting, and most polls show the race is either a toss-up or favors Talarico. So now, he's pivoting. The latest:

Ken Paxton Is Acting Like He Thinks He Could Lose

After calling his opponent a vegan freak for months, Paxton is finally pivoting to issues voters care about.

texasmonthly.com

That’s exactly how this is supposed to work. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/01/u...

She Voted for a Justice Who Overturned Roe. Now it Haunts Her on the Trail. (Gift Article)

Senator Susan Collins, who supports abortion rights, endorsed Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for the Supreme Court. It has emerged as a major issue in her campaign for re-election.

nytimes.com

This is one deeply reported, beautifully written (or edited) story, and you should find time this Sunday morning to read every word of it. 1/2 Gift link www.nytimes.com/2026/08/02/u...

How a Top Law Firm Went From Standing Up to Trump to Bending the Knee (Gift Article)

Paul Weiss was a progressive stalwart for decades and led the legal resistance against President Trump in his first term. Then it surrendered without a fight. This is the inside story of its transform...

nytimes.com

I have a new favorite San Francisco landmark. And it's the symbol the city needs. (Also in today's column — let us know your favorite S.F. landmark. Doesn't have to be something that appears in a snow globe.) Gift link 🏳️‍🌈 🎁 ⬇️ www.sfchronicle.com/totalsf/arti...

Move over, Sutro Tower. This is my new favorite San Francisco landmark

Exploring San Francisco is my full-time job. I have a new favorite landmark, and it’s the symbol the city needs, culture critic Peter Hartlaub writes.

sfchronicle.com

Social event of the season just dropped! ⏱️ San Francisco Time Machine set for 8/26 🌁 Mayor Art Agnos on meeting Mother Teresa, being shot during the Zebra killings and the 1989 earthquake 🚍 @sfmta.bsky.social's archivist Jeremy Menzies reveals his best 1970s photos Plus YOUR requests! Buy tix ⬇️

San Francisco Chronicle@sfchronicle.com · 5d ago

Join the Chronicle’s Peter Hartlaub live at Gray Area as he takes us back to the 1970s and ’80s along side the former mayor and SFMTA photographer and archivist Jeremy Menzies

My understanding is that if the Sparks don’t move Plum by tomorrow, it would be because their asking price is super high and teams are balking at that for an expiring contract they could sign in the offseason, even if she could help now.

The core argument is that cities like Seattle are so addled by left-wing ideology that they have fallen into dystopia. In reality, the city has never adequately funded harm reduction programs and continues to rely on incarceration to address homelessness. What Powell wants is what we're doing.

It was inevitable that reactionary centrists would turn against harm reduction and call for a return to mass incarceration

The Cities That Said Yes to Drugs

Policies that gave addicts clean needles and places to use drugs were intended to reduce harm. They created a “zombie apocalypse.”

theatlantic.com

Collb today with @josiahcohen.bsky.social who is doing some of the best work in this space

josiahcohen.bsky.social@josiahcohen.bsky.social · 6d ago

Golden State Valkyries trade targets + what it would take to get Kelsey Plum with the great @mingemi.bsky.social, then two quick points on a chaotic loss to the Phoenix Mercury, which featured the largest FTA disparity in Valks history. Read here: riseofthevalkyries.substack.com/p/marisa-ing...

OK, reposting what I meant to share earlier - your step-by-step guide for the scenarios of a possible Valks trade. Thanks for thinking this through @mingemi.bsky.social

Valkyries Beat@valkyriesbeat.bsky.social · 6d ago

NEW POST: What should the Valkyries do at the trade deadline? Here are all the possibilities. www.valkyriesbeat.com/p/valkyries-...

Fun piece. Our beat writers put together hypothetical packages for Kelsey Plum. Me on the Dream. @mingemi.bsky.social on the Valkyries. @terryhorstman.bsky.social on the Lynx. @jennhatfield.bsky.social on the Mystics. #WNBA I @theixsports.bsky.social www.theixsports.com/the-ix-baske...

WNBA reporters pitch potential trades for Kelsey Plum | The IX Sports

The IX Sports' WNBA beat reporters weigh in on possible trade packages their teams could make for five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum.

theixsports.com

NEW POD: Jane and Kenzo take a look at Valkyries trade possibilities. What would you like to see them do? www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuTs...

Valkyries Courtside Report | What should the Valkyries do at the trade deadline?

YouTube video by Valkyries Courtside Report

youtube.com

Valkyries have definetely made calls about Kelsey Plum, but are hesitant to let go of some of the players they would need to for the cap space to work.

By popular demand, here is everything you need to know ahead of the Women's Professional Baseball League season that starts tomorrow:

everything you need to know about the WPBL

here's your WPBL-101

thefrankiedlc.news

Our @mingemi.bsky.social is live on the scene for @wpbl.bsky.social coverage. She’ll be joined by @howardmegdal.bsky.social as we provide all the sights and sounds from #WPBL opening weekend! MUCH mors to come.

Marisa Ingemi@mingemi.bsky.social · 5d ago

Mo’ne Davis, Ashton Lansdell, Alli Schroder, Denae Benites and Ayami Sato all in uniform

“Three out of the six of us would not be in that league if we were playing back then. Vecause of color, ethnicity, and background, and that’s what’s so important about this league is it’s opening up." On Friday at the WPBL's media day | @theixsports.bsky.social www.theixsports.com/features/wpb...

WPBL brings players together in rainy Illinois ahead of openers | The IX Sports

Ahead of the WPBL's opening weekend, players like spoke about what it means to be part of the first women's baseball league in 54 years.

theixsports.com

Workers at Ghirardelli’s flagship San Francisco shop are asking customers to stay away during a three-day strike involving health insurance and a 6% surcharge.

Ghirardelli closes flagship San Francisco shop as workers strike

Workers at Ghirardelli’s flagship San Francisco shop are asking customers to stay away during a three-day strike involving health insurance and a 6% surcharge.

bit.ly

Janelle Salaün with the record #gsv #goldenstatevalkyries #valkyries

Wrote about Janelle Salaun's side-stepping, in-your-face defiant shot that is a trademark of Golden State's offense.

Valkyries Beat@valkyriesbeat.bsky.social · last wk.

NEW POST: Janelle Salaun is going to shoot the ball, and most of the time, that's a good thing. That defines how the Valkyries score. www.valkyriesbeat.com/p/valkyries-...

Genuinely so proud that Valkyries Beat has become the vision I’ve had for running a beat and the audience is there. It’s wild being 30 now, after running a lacrosse website myself at 15, working in newspapers in my 20s (and still now) and feeling like I have something so authentically myself

all I want for my birthday is for you to subscribe to @valkyriesbeat.bsky.social so I can keep doing my favorite thing I have ever done www.valkyriesbeat.com/upgrade

Upgrade | Valkyries Beat

Inside the Golden State Valkyries from the perspective of a women's sports journalist.

valkyriesbeat.com