At halftime of Wednesday’s Golden State Valkyries playoff game, when singer Rei Ami started the second song of her brief performance, a surprising backup dancer sprang onto the court.
She had purple fur and wore large, round glasses. Her outfit was a sparkly Valkyries jersey with a matching skirt. On the back of the jersey, a hand with pointy acrylic nails held up two fingers.
Violet, the Valkyries’ raven “bestie,” went right into the center of the dance mob. And she seemed to know every choreographed move.
Violet is everywhere at Chase Center – as plush toys at the team store, stuffed animals perched on fans’ baseball caps and shoulders, and a large bobblehead on the concourse that draws long lines for photos. Of course, she’s also there as the mascot, dancing around the court and hyping up fans.
For the Valkyries, whose nearly 50 straight home sellouts in their first two seasons make them the WNBA’s biggest business success story, Violet is just another part of the Ballhalla experience.
Jennifer Kaufman, who has been coming to Valkyries games since the inaugural season, stopped to take a photo with the bobblehead on the concourse.
“She brings all the good vibes to the games,” Kaufman said. “She’s so fun, and she’s a good dancer.”
Before the Rei Ami performance, Violet danced along the baseline, doing pirouettes and other ballet-like dance moves.
Even Kellen Wohl, the Chase Center employee tasked with taking photos of fans with the bobblehead that night, is a fan. At times, in the hour leading up to Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals, about 15 people lined up for a photo.
“She’s got a spunk and feistiness to her, but she’s also kind of relatable,” Wohl said, noting her glasses as one of her features that fans can connect with.
Steve, who came to the game from San Jose with his daughter and grandson, said Violet is “so energetic and gets the crowd pumped up.” He declined to give his last name.
Steve’s 10-year-old grandson, Cayden, said her energy reminds him of Sharkie, the San Jose Sharks’ mascot.
Violet gets her species from Norse mythology, in which ravens are often sidekicks to Valkyries, the figures who give the team its name.
Violet’s interactions, though, aren’t limited to fans.
After the buzzer went off and the Valkyries took a 2-0 lead in the semifinals, Violet returned to the court. The team had just staved off a comeback from the Las Vegas Aces, and deafening roars filled Chase Center. But Violet didn’t dance.
Instead, she walked around the court, went up to every player she could find, and gave them a hug.
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This article originally published at Violet, the Valkyries’ ‘bestie,’ is the life of the team’s playoff party.
