SAN FRANCISCO — Violet shirts adorned every seat with the script “First of a Lifetime.” Before long, they were filled with 18,064 fans as the Golden State Valkyries tipped off against the L.A. Sparks, and the WNBA had officially come to the Bay Area.

The Valkyries are the first expansion team to join the WNBA since the Atlanta Dream entered the league in 2008. Backed by a wave of support, the team launched with over 10,000 season-ticket holders. Their inaugural game at Chase Center drew a sellout crowd of 18,

Plum shines in her Sparks debut with 37 points, including 26 in the second half, as the Sparks hand Golden State an 84-67 loss in its inaugural game.

Clark made history in the process, as she tied Candace Parker for the third-most triple-doubles in WNBA history with three. The Fever star had two such stat lines in her first year, even becoming the first rookie to have a triple-double. Following her sensational display on Saturday, the WNBA quickly took to social media to heap praise on her.

After a sometimes exhausting rookie season in the WNBA, the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry didn’t wait long to reappear in Year 2.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert says she and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver believe Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is the nation's "most popular" athlete.