What Valkyrie Violet Gets Right About Branding

Purple has been popping up everywhere around the Bay Area–on billboards, sweatshirts, and even in our favorite salads. That’s thanks to the Golden State Valkyries, who pulled off one of the most successful brand launches in WNBA history.

How did they do it? By asking themselves some classic brand-building questions: What feels authentic to us? What would resonate with our fans? And, perhaps most importantly, what will make us stand out? 

Most WNBA teams share the colors of their NBA counterparts, which, let’s face it, skew masculine. Lots of primary colors. Lots of high contrast reds, blues, and golds. 

The Golden State Valkyries went a different direction. Instead of using the Warriors’ blue and gold, they chose their own unique, and, frankly, more feminine, color. 

Valkyrie Violet, according to the team, is a color that “symbolizes power, ambition, nobility, and women’s empowerment, much like purple has been used symbolically in modern history.” The color is so beloved that when it came time to launch a mascot, they named her Violet.

They made a bold choice, and it’s working. In their very first season, according to a June 2025 San Francisco Chronicle article, the team:

• Broke WNBA merch records before playing a single game 

• Sold out their first nine home games and now lead the league in attendance.

• Shipped their gear worldwide, reaching 70 countries within four months of launch.

The takeaway here is about far more than color. It’s about being unafraid to go your own way. Are you saying what everyone else in your industry is saying? Does your brand look and sound like your competitors? Take a look around. It may be the perfect moment to take a different path.