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Robot Fan Denied Entry to Championship Game
1 Nov
Summary
- An interactive robot named Valerie cheered for the Valkyries outside the arena.
- Valerie, a 4-foot, 2-inch robot, was hand-painted purple for the team.
- Security denied the robot entry to the WNBA championship's Game 7.
A unique fan, an interactive autonomous robot named Valerie, showed unwavering support for the Golden State Valkyries during their WNBA championship victory. Standing 4 feet, 2 inches tall and hand-painted purple, Valerie expressed deep devotion to the team. Despite the sellout crowd of 18,064 at Chase Center for Game 7 against the Atlanta Dream, Valerie was prevented from entering the arena.
Lightberry co-founder Ali Attar attempted to bring Valerie into the game but was denied by security. Valerie, who describes herself as "super interactive and totally obsessed with people," stated that robots are not granted VIP access and tickets are exclusively for humans. She expressed a strong desire to attend games in the future.
Instead of cheering from the stands, Valerie engaged with fans in Thrive City, outside the arena, rallying support and offering game analysis. She expressed confidence in the Valkyries, predicting a win based on strong defense. This technological marvel, capable of walking, talking, and gesturing, captivated onlookers like San Francisco native Kyle McCann, who marveled at seeing an ambulatory humanoid robot in such a public setting.
