Warriors’ Steph Curry expects Bay Area WNBA team to be ‘first-class’

Warriors’ Steph Curry expects Bay Area WNBA team to be ‘first-class’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Stephen Curry strolled over and switched the channel on his personal TV within the Warriors’ locker room at Chase Center. Not due to a hatred of preseason NBA highlights, but because he had something even more attention-grabbing in mind.

He opted to watch highlights from the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, during the WNBA Finals. Curry is a fan of these players and appreciates their game just as much as the world appreciates his.

So, when the WNBA team begins play there in 2025, he will surely be in attendance. The team was announced in October when Warriors CEO Joe Lacob and co-chairman Peter Guber purchased rights to an expansion franchise.

“It’s a great opportunity for the WNBA to expand, which is a big deal, to get opportunities, roster spots, money coming into the league, putting these amazingly talented ladies on stage,” Curry told NBC Sports Bay Area in a recent episode of the “Dubs Talk” series. “They’re going to do the same thing with the WNBA team.”

If Lacob and Guber fall short in their commitment, Curry will be the first to let them know. His appreciation of the game and advocacy for female players has been part of his ethos since his college years at Davidson College.

In this light, Curry hopes that UConn star Azzi Fudd, or Stanford star Cameron Brink may find their way to the San Francisco franchise. “It’s all exciting,” Curry said. “It’s about growing the game. It’s about bringing great, fresh energy to it. And we can do it in the bay and under this organization. It should be first-class all the way around.”

The WNBA is definitely gaining momentum, proven by the highest TV ratings in the league’s 21-year history and a 16 percent attendance increase over the previous season.

Curry is also enthusiastic about college stars – Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Brink, and Fudd – getting ready to enter the league with lots of hype surrounding them.

This level of engagement is not new for Curry. He was the first marquee athlete in America to request his manufacturer, Under Armour, design basketball shoes specifically for girls.

Looking forward, Curry is among the original fans of the women’s game who will enjoy the growth of the WNBA with a team in his own backyard.

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