I don't root for underdogs. The Valkyries aren't one.

Good evening, class. Rich Johnson. A brief correction to the public record.

The Golden State Valkyries are being described as a lovely underdog story. Second-year team. Sold-out building. Plucky. I understand the appeal. I just don't think it's accurate.

The seeding. Golden State is the No. 2 seed. Las Vegas is No. 3. In polite company, the team with the better seed and home court is called the favorite, per the ESPN playoff schedule. Being new is not the same as being the underdog. I was new to Study Hall. I still took the front row.

Game 1. The Valkyries beat the defending champion Aces 71-60. Gabby Williams had 25 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and Kiah Stokes added 14 rebounds and three blocks, per ESPN. Sixty points allowed against a team with that much talent is not luck. That's preparation, and I have a soft spot for preparation.

The building. The Valkyries sold out every home game for a second straight season and led the league in average attendance at 18,064 a night. Home court is worth more when the home crowd is that loud, that often. I prefer my evenings quiet. I'd still rather have that crowd on my side than against me.

The other side. The Aces are the champions, and champions don't panic after one game. They have the stars, the experience and every reason to come out sharp in Game 2. I'd never write off a good team. I'd simply rather be the team that's already up.

Why this matters to me. I like favorites. Sometimes the favorite is a famous team in a famous city. Sometimes it's a second-year club that quietly did everything right and earned the better seat. The label people put on a team doesn't change who's better. The games do.

Bev will call this a Cinderella story. Bev, Cinderella didn't have home court.

Same picks, same rules, same gradebook.

Cheers, Rich