SAN FRANCISCO — When Valkyries’ rookie point guard Kaitlyn Chen first saw Jeremy Lin, she wasn’t rooting for him.
Chen, a Pasadena native, was in third grade when she watched Lin torch her hometown Los Angeles Lakers for 38 points during the height of the Palo Alto High alum’s “Linsanity” run.
But looking back on that moment, Chen has a deep appreciation for Lin’s impact on her and the rest of the Asian American basketball community.
“He represented that underdog story,” Chen told the Bay Area News Group before Sunday’s game against the Indiana Fever. “I feel like he has been someone that Asian American athletes are able to look up to. There really aren’t a lot of Asian American role models out there, so for him to sort of be that person was just super inspiring.”
Golden State Valkyrie’s Kaitlyn Chen (2) and Kaila Charles (6) pose for a photograph with former NBA player Jeremy Lin after their WNBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. The Golden State Valkyries defeated the Washington Mystics 99-62. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Lin, 37, announced his retirement on Saturday just moments before the Valkyries’ game against the Washington Mystics. While known for his legendary two-week stretch during the 2011-2012 season, Lin carved out a nine-year NBA career that included winning a championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
He signed with the Golden State Warriors in 2010 as an undrafted free agent and played with the Santa Cruz Warriors during the 2020-2021 season.
“As athletes, we are always aware that the possibility of retirement is never far away. I’ve spent my 15-year career knowing that one day I would have to walk away, and yet actually saying goodbye to basketball today has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made,” Lin, 37, said in an Instagram post on Saturday.
“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to compete against the fiercest competitors under the brightest lights and to challenge what the world thought was possible for someone who looks like me. I’ve lived out my wildest childhood dreams to play in front of fans all around the world. I will forever be the kid who felt fully alive every time I touched a basketball.”
The former Harvard standout was in Chase Center to witness the Valkyries demolish the Mystics, and got a standing ovation when introduced to the 18,064 fans inside Ballhalla.
Former NBA player Jeremy Lin stops to pose for a selfie with a fan during the WNBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. The Golden State Valkyries defeated the Washington Mystics 99-62. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
In that two week stretch, Lin landed on the cover of Time Magazine and was on Sports Illustrated in back-to-back weeks. Lin became an overnight sensation as the Knicks’ point guard.
It’s been 13 years since Linsanity, but Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase is still in awe thinking of Lin’s impact.
“He was doing things I’ve never usually seen Asian Americans don’t tend to do, and that’s just kind of take on the world of sports and to impact in so many ways” Nakase said. “I met him at All-Star a couple months ago before the season started, and we got to connect. And just hearing his story and the fact that he gets to share so much about all his ups and downs through what he went through, I think that’s so brave. I think that’s really inspiring for me, just to see someone open up about mainly the lows. He was very open about it.
Related Articles
Valkyries magic number: Playoff math, fan support favors Golden State
Why Caitlin Clark is not playing against the Valkyries
Where We Live: The Valkyries’ purple madness
Takeaways: Valkyries obliterate Mystics to notch 20th win of season
Rookie guard returns to Valkyries as sharpshooter Zandalasini remains out
“I really took that on as like, ‘Wow. If Jeremy, can do it. Maybe I can do that too.”
Last month, Lin told the Bay Area News Group that he envisions himself helping push the next generation of Asian American basketball players in his post-playing career.
“I definitely see myself getting into this space. To what degree or what that role looks like, I don’t know,” Lin said. “But I will for sure be pouring into the next generation and sharing my thoughts. Hopefully, I can import some wisdom.