Fans say ‘astronomical' ticket prices are well worth it for Valkyries-Dream WNBA Finals

Women's basketball fans who flocked to Chase Center on Saturday for Game 1 paid the most expensive ticket prices in WNBA Finals history .

The average price of tickets for Saturday's matchup between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream was four times what it was for Game 1 of last year's Finals, according to StubHub. Was it worth it? Fans said yes - and that the prices reflect the sport's growth.

"No one wants to pay high prices for less quality seats," said Donald Taylor, a Dream fan who paid $250 for a seat in the nosebleeds. "But for women's basketball, just from where it was to where it is now, I think it's a great thing."

A decade ago, Taylor guessed, $250 might get you a courtside ticket to some WNBA games - so he sees the pricey tickets as good for the game.

Even during the WNBA semifinals, some fans were able to get upper level tickets for $50.

Taylor, who is from Oakland and lives in Vallejo, supports the Dream because he has been a fan of forward Angel Reese since her days at Louisiana State University.

The Valkyries' more than 12,000 season-ticket holders get first dibs at face-value playoff tickets. Season-ticket plans range from four-game packages to all 22 home games.

Pete and Jody Cordova, who have season tickets to every Valkyries home game, heard that some fellow season-ticket holders have sold their seats for twice the original price.

"Those who aren't season ticket holders look at the pricing and they go, 'Oh, my god, it's astronomical! People are reselling for such a high price,'" Jody Cordova said. "It's true. It is a high price. But those people who have been putting out thousands of dollars throughout the whole entire season are also trying to recoup some of their money back to help pay for their tickets for this season and for next year."

The Cordovas are paying $350 apiece for club level seats at all four possible Finals home games - $2,800 total if the series goes all seven games.

"Looking at the prices online right now, I think it's a great deal," Jody Cordova said. "But it's still expensive."

Liza Culick and Geri Migielicz, a couple from Santa Cruz, have paid between $250 and $450 per game throughout the playoffs. Tickets in the area in the lower bowl where they have season tickets were going for $1,000 or more on the resale market.

"It's a bummer for people who want to come," Culick said. "I feel like a lot of people in our section are season-ticket holders, so they're coming to the games or giving them to friends."

Cyrus Thomas and Sonia Serna were celebrating their one-year anniversary at Saturday's game. As soon as it was confirmed that the Finals would be Valkyries-Dream, Thomas looked on Gametime, a resale platform. He bought two seats in the nosebleeds for $678.

Thomas is from Atlanta and has lived in San Jose since 1989. He wore a Dream jersey but had both a Dream necklace and a Valkyries necklace around his neck. If the Dream weren't in the Finals, he said, he'd be wearing violet.

"I'm big on firsts. There will never be another first game for the Valkyries in the WNBA Finals," Thomas said. "So I'm like, 'Hey, man, splurge, splurge, splurge.'"