Golden State Valkyries Parade: How to celebrate the WNBA championship
· Yahoo Sports
It took the Golden State Valkyries just two seasons to bring a championship to the Bay Area. Now, San Francisco is ready to celebrate.
After a nail-biting Game 7, the Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream, 68-63, on Oct. 31 in front of a sold-out Chase Center. Mayor Daniel Lurie quickly confirmed that San Francisco would host a victory parade for the city's newest champions.
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The Valkyries' victory parade will be held from noon to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, as players, coaches, staff, city officials, and Bay Area legends plan to march along the Embarcadero. It's unclear which "Bay Area legends" will join the parade.
The parade will start at the Ferry Building near Mission Street and end at Second Street and King Street in front of Oracle Park, the city said.
“In just two years, the Golden State Valkyries have taken the sports world by storm. They have built a fiercely loyal fan base that has sold out every home game they’ve ever played, cemented San Francisco as a global hub of women’s sports, and now taken their rightful place as WNBA champions,” said Lurie.
“This team embodies the spirit and the values that make San Francisco unique, bringing our city together and giving fans across the Bay Area so much to celebrate. Congratulations to the players, the coaches, the staff, and the entire Valkyries organization on this historic victory—we’re so excited to celebrate this incredible team.”
Fans can start lining up along the parade route at 9 a.m., and local officials recommend fans take public transit to avoid the heavy traffic expected in the area.
City officials announced they will close the following streets from 12:01 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
- Eastbound King Street and northbound Embarcadero: between Third Street (at King Street) and Broadway (at Embarcadero).
- Market Street: between Drumm Street and Steuart Street.
- Steuart Street: between Market Street and its southern end.
- Spear Street: between Market Street and its southern end.
The city will also close the following streets from 8 am to 4 pm:
- Southbound Embarcadero and westbound King Street: between Broadway (at Embarcadero) and Third Street (at King Street).
- Washington Street: between Drumm Street and the Embarcadero.
- Mission, Howard, Folsom, Harrison and Bryant streets: between Main Street and the Embarcadero.
- Brannan Street: between Second Street and the Embarcadero (local access maintained to Delancey Street).
- Townsend Street: between Third Street and the Embarcadero.
- Second Street: between Brannan Street and King Street.
Fans hoping to attend the parade can take the Bay Area Rapid Transit system, and Muni Metro will be available.
For folks taking the BART or Muni Metro, it's recommended they get off at Embarcadero or Montgomery stations and walk to the route.
Additionally, BART announced it will add extra trains and more staff and security to accommodate the larger crowds.
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City officials noted that Autonomous vehicle services will be restricted from operating in the area from 12:01 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
Specifically, rideshare services will be blocked from the Embarcadero, the Financial District, South of Market, east of First Street, and Parts of South Beach.
Additionally, the city will be restricting pickups and drop-offs in the following areas:
- Battery Street: between the Embarcadero and Market Street.
- First Street: between Market Street and Harrison Street.
- Third Street: between Folsom Street and Brannan Street.
- Fourth Street: between Harrison Street and Townsend Street.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Golden State Valkyries Parade: How to celebrate the WNBA championship