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After I stunned Savannah with tickets to see the Dallas Wings play in San Francisco, she screamed, dropped to the ground of our eating room, and rolled round in tears.
I sat right here consuming my dinner a bit baffled. We had been going to a basketball sport. Much more baffling was her request for a two-hour prepare timeframe in our dodgy resort room. Couldn’t we spend that afternoon discovering a San Francisco bakery and a very good flat white as a substitute?
No. This was the dream.
We had been visiting San Francisco after 5 days on the Majestic Mountain Loop, legs nonetheless heavy from the Sierra Nevada. As San Francisco was not new to us, this go to was purely concerning the basketball.
Savannah is s a die-hard WNBA fan, Paige Bueckers is her idol, and the Wings had been on the town to play the Golden State Valkyries. All the pieces else on our journey was a bonus wrapped round this evening.
So, I gave up the flat white, went again to our tiny resort room, and waited the higher a part of 90 minutes whereas she acquired herself prepared. Jersey on. Nerves buzzing.
Attending to the Chase Heart
The Chase Heart sits in Mission Bay, and it’s a simple one to succeed in. Buses and the Metro each run there, and right here’s the half that made me completely satisfied: if you happen to’ve acquired a ticket to the sport, your transit is free the entire day. Have your ticket prepared to point out when boarding. We took benefit of that whereas exploring San Francisco through the day!
We caught the bus in and took the prepare dwelling. Someplace on the best way again it ran above floor, then dipped under with out warning, which had us each one another like, the place are we going? We might stroll from the station (Union Sq.) again to our resort, and stroll to the bus on the best way out, so we by no means touched a automotive all evening.
The place to eat earlier than the sport
Proper on the complicated, Thrive Metropolis has outside house, retailers, and someplace to eat earlier than tip-off. We discovered a burger joint, Gott’s Roadside, that had me at gluten-free buns. You order on the counter, then seize a spot on the lengthy group tables inside or out.
The burgers had been scrumptious and fairly priced (get the Texas Avocado), they usually had a gluten-free beer on faucet, plus Pliny the Elder, which is a uncommon factor to identify. It’s a Russian River beer that folks will line up for hours to get on launch day, so I used to be not going to stroll previous it. Properly since I’m gluten free, I kinda did, however not with out first ordering it and ingesting it in my thoughts. (I’ve tried it earlier than and beloved it)
Different locations to eat at Thrive City embody Fikscue Craft Barbecue, Dumpling time, Che Fico Pizzeria, Burma Love, Senor Sisig, and Cupcakin’ Bake Store. there’s additionally Golden State Cider, Pilz Espresso, and Harmonic Brewing to quench your thirst.
A ten-minute stroll away is Spark Social, a meals truck park and beer backyard with a contented hour bar. We went there first, then determined it wasn’t the vibe we needed earlier than the sport and doubled again to be close to the world. Each work. It relies upon how a lot time you’ve acquired.
The second that made the entire journey
We acquired there early, on goal, to observe the Wings heat up.
Down within the backside nook of our part, you can stand proper above the tunnel the place the gamers come off the court docket to the locker room. Savannah noticed Paige Bueckers signing autographs as we walked in, and by the point we acquired to the nook she’d moved on. Missed her by a minute. I might see the frustration settle in.
So I did what any Australian mom would do. I made a decision we’d use our accent.
Alanna Smith performs for the Wings, and she or he’s considered one of ours. Born in Hobart, raised by Melbourne, a reigning Defensive Participant of the 12 months and an Olympian. Savannah was mortified. She might see precisely what I used to be about to do and needed the bottom to swallow her.
I waited on the nook whereas Alanna signed her approach down the road. As she got here previous, I leaned over and yelled, “Aussie Oi!”
She appeared straight up, beaming, and we had ourselves a bit dialog throughout the barrier. We talked Tasmania and Melbourne and the way a lot she’s loving it over right here. I instructed her we’re Aussies too, dwelling in North Carolina, and we’d come as a result of my lady is an enormous fan. And there was Savannah, who’d been dying of embarrassment thirty seconds earlier, sidling up beside me with the most important grin, courageous sufficient now to catch Alanna’s eye and get one again.
That’s the factor I preserve coming again to. Your uniqueness is a bonus if you happen to’ll use it. A yelled “Aussie Oi” from a mum who didn’t care about trying foolish acquired her daughter a second she’ll have ceaselessly.
Then one other participant got here previous, one who used to run for the NC State Wolfpack, proper close to the place we reside. Aziaha James. So, I referred to as out “Wolfpack” and threw up the signal. She caught it simply as she reached the tunnel, turned, beamed, and gave it proper again.
Two moments, earlier than the sport had even began, and Savannah was already floating.
The Wings vs Vakyries sport itself
I didn’t anticipate to be entertained the best way I used to be.
The ladies on the court docket had been good, and so was all the things occurring round them. Dance routines and giveaways by each timeout, glitter and colour throughout the gang, the power climbing all evening. The locals had been loud behind their Valkyries, and there was a wholesome scattering of Wings jerseys within the combine too. Savannah wore her Bueckers jersey. I wore a shirt that mentioned “I’m in my Dallas Wings period.” We had been all in.
She acquired to observe Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd play, her two favourite gamers, on the identical flooring. That alone had her buzzing.
The Wings didn’t get the win. They hung in for some time, then the Valkyries pulled away for a 91-80 closing. Savannah didn’t care one bit. She was excessive the complete evening, and when it was over she instructed me it was one of the best evening of her life.
What one sport did
She hasn’t come again down.
A month later, Craig took her to see the Wings play the Liberty in Brooklyn, and you may examine their game night here. Between the 2 of us, we’ve now taken her to WNBA video games on each coasts, and she or he’s already plotting the subsequent one.
She’s speaking a few profession within the league now. Working in it by some means, off the court docket. She’s researching what these jobs appear like and eyeing the North Carolina Braveness, the ladies’s professional soccer crew ten minutes from our home, for someplace to begin younger. The Braveness play soccer, and it’s girls’s professional sport proper on her doorstep. I instructed her what I imagine. All of it begins small.
I’d mentioned sure to that sport as a favor to my teen. It turned out to be one of the best factor we did, and I’m so glad I didn’t speak her out of a single second of it.
The best way to see a WNBA sport on the Chase Heart
Right here’s what I’d let you know if you happen to’re planning to take your individual teen.
Getting tickets
Buy through Ticketmaster as that’s the official ticket vendor. OR resale by a good resale website like SeatGeek or Gametime. The Valkyries have bought out most of their video games since they launched in 2025, so the marquee opponents and weekend video games get dear and go early. Purchase forward for these. Midweek video games towards lower-profile groups are your cheaper window, generally from round $30 to $60 within the higher bowl, although costs transfer with demand, so verify the day you e-book.
One factor that saved us cash: we’d purchased the few remaining non-resale seats that had been within the nosebleeds. We then upgraded as soon as we had been inside the world, which got here in cheaper than shopping for these nearer seats by resale would have. Value asking about upgrades once you arrive.
Our upgraded tickets landed us within the Extremely Membership part, which I had no thought about till we arrived in it. This was extra of a non-public space with its personal bar and eatery. The bar tender was telling me the way it’s the one two-story bar on the Chase Centre. So, if you’d like extra of a non-public expertise like this the next sections provide them:
- Sections 126-129: Cache Creek Membership
- Sections 101 – 106: United Globe Membership
- Sections 113 – 118: Ult4ra Membership
Notice: I’m taking an informed guess, that since Paige Beuckers and Azzi Fudd are two of the WNBA’s highest profile gamers, seeing the Dalas Wings play in San Francisco meant larger priced tickets.
Getting there and parking
Take transit. The sector sits in Mission Bay, and the Muni Metro T Third line stops on the UCSF/Chase Heart station proper on the south entrance. Your sport ticket doubles as a free Muni trip for the entire day, so there’s no cause to pay for something further. It’s also possible to come by BART with a switch to Muni, or by ferry.
When you should drive, know that on-site parking is proscribed and costly, often $30 to $60 or extra, and it sells out. Prepay by Ticketmaster or the Chase Heart parking web page quite than rolling up and hoping. Avenue parking round Mission Bay is permit-only with aggressive towing on sport nights. Depart the automotive.
The T metro line serves Chase Heart, and extra S trains run on occasion days. The 78X bus additionally runs between Chase Heart and sixteenth St Mission BART Station 2.5 hours earlier than and 1 hour after occasions.
What to convey
Chase Heart doesn’t permit backpacks of any form, even small or clear ones, so convey a small purse or clutch as a substitute. Baggage get searched, and a transparent one strikes you thru sooner. There’s a bag valet on website if you happen to flip up with one thing that gained’t move. Bag sizes and prohibited gadgets change, so verify the official Chase Center site earlier than you go. Reusable water bottles will not be permitted. This was a boo hoo for me. So dangerous for the setting. Water fountains are within the enviornment, which may also prevent cash! If it’s important to purchase one water bottle then refill it.
When to reach
Get there early. Doorways often open about 90 minutes earlier than tip-off, and that pre-game window, when the gamers are unfastened and near the stands, is the place our complete evening turned. Give your self time to eat, and to catch the warm-ups. Thrive Metropolis is price a wander too. When you’ve acquired a youthful fan with you, ask visitor companies a few first-game certificates.
The place to eat
Thrive City on the complicated has loads of decisions, together with the burger spot we beloved, and Spark Social is a brief stroll away for meals vans and a beer backyard. Eat earlier than you head in, since enviornment concessions run steep.
We didn’t expertise eating inside the Chase Center, however they’ve all kinds of eateries that serve contemporary, from-scratch native favorites and dishes representing the varied culinary expertise of the Bay Space. Anticipate your typical venue meals – burgers, scorching canines, BBQ, Mexican, and pizza however because it’s California targeted, they’ll all most likely be good. They’ve additionally acquired you coated with bars pouring costly drinks! You recognize it!
Why it’s an ideal teen evening
A WNBA sport is heat and family-friendly, usually extra inexpensive than the boys’s Golden State basketball sport, with an environment that pulls everybody in. Ladies’s sport is having its second, and your teen will wish to be within the constructing for it.
The place to remain close to the Chase Heart
We stayed throughout city this journey, so I can’t let you know I’ve slept in these. What I can let you know is the place I’d e-book if the sport had been the purpose. On a sold-out evening, Terry Francois Boulevard backs up for blocks and rideshares surge, so a resort you possibly can stroll again to after the ultimate buzzer is price lots.
Closest to the world
LUMA Hotel San Francisco is the closest resort to the Chase Heart, a few 6-to-10-minute stroll from the door. It’s a contemporary construct in Mission Bay with a rooftop bar, and it sits proper by the Mission Rock subway station if you wish to shoot as much as Union Sq. or Chinatown through the day. That is the one I’d e-book first for a sport.
Hotel VIA is a brief stroll the opposite approach, throughout from Oracle Park, with a rooftop bar that appears over the ballpark and the bay. Helpful if you happen to’re pairing your WNBA evening with a Giants sport.
A flat stroll or one cease away
The San Francisco Marriott Marquis sits in SoMa, roughly a 15-to-20-minute flat stroll to the world, or one fast cease on the T Third line. Now I’ve stayed right here earlier than and beloved it. It’s the one with the enduring View Lounge on the highest flooring, and the views over town are definitely worth the elevator trip. A strong choose if you’d like a much bigger resort with extra on website.
Lease an house
When you’re touring as a household and desire a kitchen and a few room to unfold out, take a look at Airbnb or Vrbo in Mission Bay, Dogpatch, or Potrero Hill. A number of sit inside a 5-to-15-minute stroll of the world, and also you’ll usually get more room to your cash than a downtown resort room. Search stays near the Chase Center here
One sincere word: you don’t have to remain close to the world in any respect. Your sport ticket makes Muni free for the entire day, so wherever on a Muni line will get you there and again simply. Staying shut simply saves you the shuffle on a packed evening. For choices throughout the remainder of town, see our full information to where to stay in San Francisco.
FAQs about seeing a WNBA sport on the Chase Heart
Is a WNBA sport good for teenagers?
Sure. It was the spotlight of our complete San Francisco journey. The group is heat and family-friendly, and there’s leisure by each timeout to maintain everybody in it. Ladies’s sport is having a second, and your teen will wish to be there for it. Tickets usually price lower than the boys’s sport too.
How a lot are Golden State Valkyries tickets?
Costs range lots by opponent and day. The Valkyries promote out usually, so weekend and marquee video games climb quick, whereas midweek video games can begin round $30 to $60 within the higher bowl on resale. Premium and courtside seats run into the a whole lot or extra. Verify present costs once you e-book.
How do you get to the Chase Heart?
Take the Muni Metro T Third line to the UCSF/Chase Heart cease on the enviornment’s south entrance. Your sport ticket covers your Muni fare for the entire day. Prepare to point out it BART and the ferry join in too
The place do you park on the Chase Heart?
On-site parking is proscribed and often $30 to $60 or extra, and it sells out, so prepay by Ticketmaster or the Chase Heart parking web page if you happen to drive. Transit is the simpler and cheaper choice.
What are you able to convey into the Chase Heart?
A small purse or clutch, not a backpack of any form, plus one factory-sealed water bottle. Baggage are searched, and a transparent one speeds issues up. Verify the official website for the present measurement restrict and prohibited gadgets earlier than you go.
Is the Chase Heart accessible?
Sure. The sector was constructed with accessibility in thoughts, and each entrance is wheelchair accessible. Accessible seating with companion seats is unfold all through the bowl. Accessible parking is on the 150 Warriors Approach Storage on a first-come foundation for visitors with a sound placard. There’s an accessible drop-off on sixteenth Avenue close to Terry A. Francois Boulevard, and a ramp connects the storage by to Thrive Metropolis and the West Entrance.
Complimentary wheelchair escort service runs from Thrive Metropolis Plaza beginning about an hour earlier than doorways.Insurance policies and call particulars shift, so it’s price a take a look at the Chase Heart customer information web page earlier than your sport.
What else we did with our 3 days in San Francisco
The sport was the anchor, and we constructed a full journey of teen-friendly days round it:
- Walked from Fisherman’s Wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge
- Rode in a driverless Waymo
- Photographed the Painted Girls
- Misplaced a couple of hours within the California Academy of Sciences
- Wandered Haight-Ashbury and Golden Gate Park
- Discovered a secret hill with an epic view.
- Additionally discovered a espresso store with one of the best view of the bridge.
For the complete run-down, costs, and the place we ate, see our full information to things to do in San Francisco with teens. Included are extra concepts we didn’t do on this journey, however have on earlier journeys so can personally vouch they’re price your time.
Ultimate ideas
I’ll be watching extra WNBA with Savannah, whether or not I deliberate to or not. That’s what these journeys do at this age. You say sure to their factor, the factor you didn’t fairly get, and you find yourself standing in a nook above a tunnel yelling “Aussie Oi” and watching your child mild up.
Take them to the sport. Say the embarrassing factor. It could be the evening they keep in mind most. When you’re planning a WNBA journey along with your teen and have a query, remark under, I’d love to assist.
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