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.

Sparks guard Kelsey Plum dropped 37 points to spoil the Valkyries' first WNBA regular-season contest on opening night.

For starters, Kate Martin, who the team selected in the expansion draft from the Las Vegas Aces roster, brought the energy and passion that made her so popular as a rookie. The Valkyries also got a huge outing from third-year player, Laeticia Amihere, who they claimed off of waivers after the Atlanta Dream waived her.