Golden State Valkyries Announce Groundbreaking Founding Partnership With Sephora U.S.

Sephora To Be The Official Beauty Partner Of The Valkyries; Team Debuts Sephora Performance Center

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Golden State Valkyries and Sephora U.S. announced today a multi-year partnership, making the leading prestige beauty omnichannel retailer a founding partner of the Valkyries. As part of this partnership, Sephora will be the naming rights partner for the team’s 31,800-square-foot, state-of-the-art Oakland-based performance center, rebranded as the “Sephora Performance Center”, and will be the presenting partner for the Valkyries Content Day and Training Camp.

"Partnering with Sephora is a natural fit for the Valkyries. They are not just a beauty leader, but a company with deep Bay Area roots like us," said Golden State Valkyries President Jess Smith. "From our state-of-the-art Sephora Performance Center in Oakland to the unique content we'll create, this partnership brings tangible benefits to our players while giving fans unprecedented access to the team during our inaugural season. Having Sephora’s support as a founding partner is a significant milestone for women's sports and the Valkyries.”

As a focal point of this partnership, Sephora brings its beauty expertise and brand identity to the Valkyries' 31,800-square-foot hub in downtown Oakland. The newly christened "Sephora Performance Center" represents the intersection of elite athletics and premium, confident beauty, creating an environment where performance and presentation co-exist. The performance center will feature Sephora-branded elements throughout its spaces, including the three professional-grade basketball courts, locker room, strength and conditioning areas, recovery zones, and a player lounge. Sephora’s branding will also be visible on the team’s practice jerseys. This naming rights agreement transforms the Valkyries world-class training space into a powerful symbol of the partnership.

“We are thrilled to be a founding partner of the Golden State Valkyries and support a team that is committed to women’s empowerment, self-expression, and excellence,” said Chief Marketing Officer at Sephora U.S. Zena Arnold. “Joining forces in our shared Bay Area home underscores the strong alignment between our brands, and we are proud to see Sephora represented in both a physical space and with an organization where confidence and performance thrive. We look forward to celebrating the synergy between sports and beauty and continuing to champion our shared values throughout the Valkyries inaugural season and in the years to come.”

The partnership extends beyond physical spaces to create exclusive digital content, bringing fans closer to the team. Sephora will offer unprecedented behind-the-scenes access through the Valkyries' digital and social media channels, including a dedicated season-long content series, which will spotlight the players on game days throughout their inaugural season.

Sephora-branded elements will also be featured throughout the Chase Center with strategic in-arena placements to engage fans, including a Sephora Kiosk, offering a curated selection of beauty product offerings available for purchase, as well as a branded Sephora Sounds DJ booth, spotlighting the retailer’s music collective, which supports underrepresented, emerging artists.

Sephora joins a growing list of Valkyries Founding Partners, including CarMax, JPMorgan Chase, and Kaiser Permanente.

About the Golden State Valkyries
The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise on October 5, 2023. Originating from Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike. This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce. Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team is headquartered in Oakland and will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco. For Golden State Valkyries’ assets, including team logos, CLICK HERE. For more information, please visit valkyries.com.

About Sephora
Sephora is the world’s leading global prestige beauty retail brand. With 56,000 passionate employees operating in 35 markets, Sephora connects customers and beauty brands within the world’s most trusted and dynamic beauty community. We serve a highly engaged community of hundreds of millions of beauty followers across our global omnichannel network of more than 3,200 stores and iconic flagships, and our e-commerce and digital platforms, offering personalized and immersive seamless experiences across every touchpoint. With our curation of more than 300 brands and our own label, Sephora Collection, we offer the most unique and diverse range of prestige beauty products, tailored to our customers’ needs from fragrance to make-up, haircare, skincare and beyond, as we constantly reimagine the world of prestige beauty.

Since our inception in 1969 in Limoges, France, and as part of the LVMH Group since 1997, we have been disrupting the prestige beauty retail industry. Today, we continue to break with convention to drive our mission: champion a world of inspiration and inclusion where everyone can celebrate their beauty.