Valkyries’ first home playoff game will be played at SAP Center

The first playoff game in Golden State Valkyries history will not be played at Ballhalla.

The Valkyries became the first WNBA expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in their first season on Thursday night, but they might not play a postseason game at Chase Center. When the Valkyries host Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Sept. 16 or 17, it will be at SAP Center in San Jose.

In this year’s playoff format, lower-seeded teams hosts the second game in a best-of-three series. Golden State cannot finish higher than fifth place and is in sixth after Thursday’s 84-80 win over Dallas.

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“That’s obviously above us, so we can’t control it,” said guard Veronica Burton after the game. “We have faith in our fans that they’re going to continue to show out for us and wherever we play. I mean, we’re going to bring our basketball so we’re confident, we’re excited. It’s another opportunity to compete. So regardless of where we’re at, we’re gonna show up.”

Chase Center is already booked for another major sporting event, agreed to before the Valkyries — or their playoff possibilities — were established. International tennis’ Laver Cup is being held at Chase on Sept. 19-21, and the event must have an open practice day on Sept. 18, making it impossible to tear down the basketball court in time for the installation of the first tennis court at Chase Center.

“It’s been no secret that the Laver Cup is coming, a global tennis tournament to North America,” Valkyries team president Jess Smith said. “It’s been in the books for a long time. As soon as they achieved the rights for WNBA and got the footprint for the season, we understood the … possibility of what could or could not happen.”

The Valkyries also considered playing at Oakland’s Oracle Arena, former home of the Warriors, but a conflict arose due to a “property-wide private event,” the team said, which Oakland Coliseum Authority executive director Henry Gardner confirmed to the Chronicle.

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“We really just explored what was available on the timeline that we had, and (SAP) ended up being the best fit for what we need,” Smith told the Chronicle. “So looking forward to a sold-out venue, which I know Valkyries fans will do, our season ticket holders will be there. They’re a key part of what this looks like.”

Chase Center officials announced that the venue would host the Laver Cup in March 2024, but it was already contractually agreed to the summer before the Valkyries were announced as a WNBA expansion franchise in October 2023. The potential scheduling conflict was unavoidable once the team entered the WNBA playoff picture. Joe Lacob, who owns the Warriors and Chase Center, owns the Valkyries as well.

“Our fans have been the heart of our success this year, selling out every game and creating an electric atmosphere,” Lacob said in a statement. “They’ve earned the right to see playoff basketball, and we’re going to make sure SAP Center feels like home for them.”

The Valkyries lead the league in average attendance of 18,064. SAP Center has a capacity of 18,500 for basketball games.

“We can bring Ballhalla everywhere we go,” Smith said. “We’re excited to bring it to the South Bay.”

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Other WNBA teams have been forced to relocate their postseason games due to scheduling conflicts. The Los Angeles Sparks had a playoff game bumped to Long Beach State because of the Emmys, the Las Vegas Aces shifted to UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center because of a concert, and the Phoenix Mercury had to play a game at Arizona State because of a “Disney on Ice” show.

The Valkyries insist this is not a case of not being prioritized, but of circumstance.

“I think we are absolutely in the same place with the NBA as they are with the WNBA,” Smith said. “That’s the commitment that we’ll have going forward. We’re still a brand-new team. … We have the commitment from this ownership group; this whole thing has nothing to do with prioritization and everything to do with timing.”

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