Valkyries Head Coach Natalie Nakase is leading the way

Nakase is the Valkyries’ inaugural head coach and the first Asian-American person to coach a WNBA team

Being the inaugural coach of a basketball team is no small feat — especially in the WNBA, which is expanding both in fandom and in number of teams at a rapid rate. Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase is handling this position with ease as she leads her Valkyries through their inaugural season.

The Valkyries are currently 2-2 as they begin their first ever WNBA season.

“We are a brand-new team, it’s going to take time and so I’m really allowing our girls space to process the season day by day,” Nakase told ESPN. “I’m trying to get them to get the mindset of, let’s just get 1% better every single day, just be in control of what we can control.”

Nakase was hired by the Las Vegas Aces as an assistant coach in 2022, and helped lead the team to back-to-back WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023. Nakase credits Becky Hammon, A’ja Wilson, and her father, Gary Nakase, with helping her become who she is as a coach. She also credits Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla with giving her some good advice before her first head coaching gig with the Valkyries — and said advice was incredibly in-character for Mazzulla.

“I actually hit up [Boston Celtics coach] Joe Mazzula as well, and his line is: “Don’t be afraid to die.”

Nakase also worked with former Warrior Chris Paul while she was an assistant coach for the Clippers. He, along with A’ja Wilson, gave Nakase the experience she needed working with superstar players.

Nakase is also the first Asian-American person to coach a WNBA game. “It means the world to me,” Nakase told ESPN. I actually never really voiced that, but it does mean the world. And I felt that during the first preseason game. You think about it, but when it actually comes to fruition and you’re looking around and you see 17,000 fans that you get to impact in two hours, that’s pretty iconic in a way. But I’ve learned that’s really not why I’m the first. I got to make sure I’m not the last.”