Alanis Morissette has accomplished so much during her platinum-plus-selling career, including recording one of the best-selling albums of all time (1995’s “Jagged Little Pill”), fashioning several Top 40 singles, co-creating a successful Broadway musical (also called “Jagged Little Pill”) and winning multiple Grammys and other notable awards.
To that list, Morissette can now include singing the national anthem at the first-ever WNBA Finals run for the Golden State Valkyries.
And this Canadian-born artist, who spent years living in the Bay Area before recently relocating to the Los Angeles area, did a terrific job with the national anthem. Indeed, it was a definite highlight in a night that — at least sports-wise for the hometown fans — was rather short of them as the Valkyries fell to the Atlanta Dream by a score of 79-65 during this Game 2 at Chase Center in San Francisco. The best-of-seven series will no move to Atlanta tied at 1-1.
Morissette’s vocals were quite strong, approaching what one hears on her now-iconic ’90s works, and she handled each and every verse of the national anthem with precision and care. She slowed the song down a bit, especially toward the end, and really took some liberties with how she uttered the words — for example, stretching out the word “banner” by several syllables.
The crowd definitely loved the version and showered the “You Oughta Know” singer with appreciation as she closed the song.
Alanis Morissette sings the National Anthem before the Golden State Valkyries game against the Atlanta Dream for Game 2 of the WNBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Another musical highlight of the night came when rising Vallejo hip-hop star LaRussell performed the halftime show. He showed a ton of charisma and stage presence as he rapped his way through a short set that included “I Got Flavor” and other songs.
Fellow Bay Area hip-hop talents Too $hort and Mista F.A.B. were sitting courtside and watching LaRussell, who was accompanied by several of the team’s dance team members during the performance.
Rapper LaRussell, of Vallejo, performs during halftime of Game 2 of the WNBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Rapper LaRussell, of Vallejo, performs during halftime of Game 2 of the WNBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)