The WNBA expansion team Golden State Valkyries have their first coach in franchise history, as they hired former Las Vegas Aces assistant and 16-year professional basketball coach Natalie Nakase.
Nakase comes to the Bay Area with WNBA championship experience, as she helped guide the Las Vegas Aces to back-to-back championships in her first two years with the team. She also has NBA experience, spending a decade with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Nakase will report to Valkyries General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin, and begins her tenure with the team on Oct. 21.
In her introductory press conference on Thursday, Nakase reflected on a memory from nearly a decade ago, when she was still with the Clippers and watched the Golden State Warriors break a 40-year championship drought.
“I remember telling myself — I want to work for Golden State,” Nakase said. “I want to be a part of that. Fast-forward nine years, I’m sitting here in Golden State. I’m living proof that when you work really hard and you stay focused on your goal, big dreams do come true.”
Nakase’s work ethic stood out to Nyanin as a leadership trait that could trickle down to the rest of the soon-to-be-built roster.
“Natalie is the perfect candidate to lead the Valkyries as our head coach,” said Nyanin. “She exemplifies every character trait in what we were looking for in a head coach and possesses deep expertise across professional basketball. Her journey is representative of the grit and perseverance that our team will embody to achieve our ultimate goal of winning championships.
“She’s extremely driven,” Nyanin added. “Started her career as a walk-on turned starter. She’s a unifier. She’s a poised, hard worker. She’s inquisitive and loves to ask questions.”
If Nakase wants something, she’s going to make it happen. Despite receiving a full-ride scholarship to UC Irvine, she was willing to walk on for a chance to play for her dream school, UCLA. Nakase became a three-year starter for the Bruins and was eventually named team captain.
After graduation, she played professionally for two years in the National Women’s Basketball League (NWBL) with the San Jose Spiders and San Diego Siege. Nakase also competed for one season in Germany, where she suffered a career-ending knee injury in 2008.
Prior to her time with the Aces, Nakase spent 10 seasons in various capacities with the Clippers, starting as a video coordinator intern and most recently as an assistant coach and player development coach in a dual role with the NBA team and their G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers. There, she assisted then-Head Coach Tyronn Lue with in-game planning on offense and defense, and assisted with player development and defensive scouting reports.
Nakase got her coaching start in 2008 with the Women’s Professional Basketball German League, serving as head coach for the Wolfenbuttel Wildcats for two seasons (2008-10). She then served as an assistant coach for the Tokyo Apache for one season (2010-11) in the Men’s Professional Basketball Japan League, followed by acting as head coach for the Saitama Broncos from 2011-12, making her the first woman to serve as head coach in the league.
Now, she has become the first Asian American head coach in WNBA history.
“It means a lot,” Nakase said about the historic feat while holding back tears. “I fell in love with this sport when I was six. I played every day, that’s all I knew.”
Nyanin believes Nakase is the perfect person to lead the Valkyries as head coach.
“She exemplifies every character trait that we were looking for in a head coach and possesses deep expertise across professional basketball,” Nyanin said. “Her journey is representative of the grit and perseverance that our team will embody to achieve our ultimate goal of winning championships.”
Coach Nakase echoed those sentiments.
“We are committed to building a winning culture of grit, hard work, and competitiveness,” she said. “We will strive to improve, compete and ultimately bring home a championship for our fans and this organization.”
After learning how to win in this league with the Aces, Nakase wants to be remembered as the first coach to bring the Valkyries franchise a championship and vows that second place simply isn’t good enough.
“I like the challenge of being number one,” Nakase said. “That’s what sports are all about. Nobody remembers second place. Everyone remembers a champion.”
Co-Executive Chairman Joe Lacob has set the lofty goal of winning that title within the first five years of the franchise’s existence as he brought the Warriors a title within the first five years of governorship.
Lacob has backed his words with actions, investing in a state-of-the-art practice facility in Oakland, a personalized locker room and the unique homecourt advantage of Chase Center.
“To have your own practice facility is a big advantage,” Nakase shared, coming from the franchise that became the first WNBA team to do so (Aces).
In addition to her competitive nature and love for the game since she was six years old, Nakase plans to lean into building genuine relationships with her players and guide them with her heart.
“I’m going to coach with my heart,” Nakase said. “Going to be open, caring and there for my players.”
With the expansion draft on Dec. 6 and not having any players yet on her roster, Nakase isn’t feeling any pressure from the championship standard and can’t wait to instill confidence into her group when she does get them.
“Pressure is just a mindset, I see it as a challenge,” Nakase said. “I believe confidence is the key. We’re going to work hard and build confidence based off it.”
The Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise last October. Originating from Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike. This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce.
Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team is headquartered in Oakland and will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco.
— Information provided by the Golden State Valkyries