super good piece from the intersection of women's sports + narrative audio (my favorite intersection!) by jordan karnes from @kalwradio.bsky.social, all about kris grimes, a non-binary tackle football ~star~ for the golden state storm (the bay's new team) & their love affair with the sport:

#ballhalla baby

i cant post because my old team is playing my new team and im overwhelmed

The Ultimate Map of Valkyries Fandom made it into this stellar @kqednews.kqed.org guide to Valkyries games & watch parties!

For my Valkyries heads

I made a huuuuge map of Valkyries fandom - from Oakland to Placerville to Eureka to Santa Cruz - featuring so many amazing places + community hubs + women's basketball organizing far beyond the walls of Chase Center. I hope this help you find your Valkyries people! Let's keep adding to it:

look mom, i'm a real women's basketball-only audio reporter:

quick news spot, im an audio kid at heart! valks make big statement on opening weekend:

YES LITERALLY YES

People wondering if Ja will start and Coach turns it into a Zen Buddhist koan

Don't forget to read @roughnotes.bsky.social on the lavender of it all: www.oaklandreviewofbooks.org/the-guerrill...

Yes

Show them who you are, Amihere 9 PTS 5 REB 5 AST 2 BLK

in the valks presser we're all bubbbbbbbbbbbbbling with questions about the valkyries starting 5 but nakase goes: "to me starting doesn't matter, it's how you finish... is one minute more precious than another? no."

Val knows, cause the Valks are +31 in the 37 minutes that Janelle has played this season. 🤩 #wnba

humbled by queer run-ins during halftime, always humbled lmao

gabby's sister kayla is here today, i think it's good for her game <3

LAETICIA AMIHERE DOUBLE DOUBLE WATCH !!!

ok there IS something around this anecdote about ili's belly that rly moves me

we need kiah to become The San Francisco Enforcer, like, yesterday

SAME TOOTH ANOTHER TOOTH SAME TOOTH?!

flau'jae being like o you wanted a """""""""three point shooter"""""""" ???

kiah starts 4 games max

can huskies score tho?

marisa making smart marisa points!

my fave conspiracy (?) theories of the day so far... - TINA WILL LOVE WINE COUNTRY - phee was the mystery non-signed player (per @aghaubner.bsky.social) - kate martin and natalie nakase are gently weeping & praying rn (that ones mine)

time to bring tina charles out retirement u gsv dawgs

i do think nakase is probably kinda destroyed rn in her real human heart

dear bluesky journalists, gsv can still sign a 2nd developmental player even though final rosters were due... right? is there a timeline on that guy?

important reporting

im part of the season preview panel for @kalwradio.bsky.social's bounce podcast today in sf! come thru:

Finally a reasonable take, AND a point I hadn't picked up on previously: first round picks have guaranteed contracts now. So if you aren't sure you're first round pick is definitely going to be one of your 12 this season, it makes sense to prefer two second round picks to a first and a second.

i puzzled through the valkyries media day with @ericapricot.bsky.social, sorting through underlying meaning + breaking down a lingering sense of disconnect:

<333 thank you for sharing, @zenakeita.bsky.social! proud of this one & grateful for the leaps + bounds of cardte hicks.

Hi world! I'm working on creating a "Map of Valkyries Fandom" with spots across Northern California & will publish the results on Rough Notes to kick off the WNBA season. Got recs for watch parties, events, bars that show games, where you find extended Ballhalla community, etc? Let me knowwww :)

OK so these are the important questions

will natasha cloud be the first sky player spotted at the logan square farmers market tho?!

GET THE REAL ONES COURTSIDE

i am so bad at posting i am better at texting, which is bespoke posting for 1

let’s 👏 go 👏 sky 👏

damn soOoOososooooo hard to make this team <3

DON'T B SATISFIED ! (also, i read greediness in multiple ways - not JUST about top salaries & $$)

my version of a sports take LOL

i loved this nerdy lil thing that gabby williams said about the valks coaching staff at her presser saturday & can't wait to see how it plays out:

in my latest essay for rough notes, i wrote about the valkyries' return to ballhalla on saturday. plus... - hauntings of a historic off-season - gabby williams + valkyries mindmeld - veronica burton as ballhalla's babysitter - immortalizing the miela sowah game ft. @thinkmooinc.bsky.social

Explain: Miela Sowah breaks down her two iconic Finals-winning shots | with @EricApricot Before Miela Sowah became a Golden State Valkyries folk hero, she became a legend in Australia. In this exclusive video interview, she breaks down the plays and talks through her thoughts.

EARLY Preseason Game 1: Valkyries vs Seattle Storm. 5:30 PM PT * How do we watch? * What we should watch for, player by player * Micro soap opera: Marta Suarez vs Flau’jae Johnson * The roster competition * Lineups tonight? * Updates on absent Gabby, Kaila, Ceci, Juste, Ja

WNBA pre-season starts today which means... you need merch! Ordering a Rough Notes shirt not only makes a bold/cute fashion statement, it also directly support my independent work as a queer women's basketball writer + insists that creativity & community DO matter in sports media:

i do in fact find this WILD

new rough notes post, full of queer theories about wnba fandom <3 featuring a guest dispatch by yezmin villarreal, a real queer phoenix hooper!