Coach of the Year or Expansion Architect? Natalie Nakase’s First Season With the Valkyries Demands Both

“The truth is, if you look at the history, it just doesn’t happen.”

Joe Lacob said that with something big in mind. In the W, expansion teams making an impact in their inaugural run are rare. Success? That’s another half a decade wait (the closest was the 2004 Seattle Storm, who did it in the 5th year since its induction). So, running a franchise in a developing league isn’t easy; it’s a gamble that few dare to take. But after the Warriors won the 2022 championship, Golden State placed its boldest bet yet: women’s basketball in the Bay.

But the next big question was who would shape the identity?

On a hot July morning in 2024, in Las Vegas, the Warriors executive chairman Joe Lacob sat down at Jardin, an American restaurant inside the Encore hotel. A space he uses for meetings with staff, players, and executives. But that day, he was on a mission to find the very first head coach in Golden State Valkyries history, the person who would set the tone for the team and shape its future.

At the center of it all was Natalie Nakase.

“I have high expectations, and we might as well get that right up front,” Lacob told the former Las Vegas Aces’ assistant coach. “You have to win a title in five years.” It’s easier said than done, because Nakase’s job only got tougher with the Valkyries’ fate.

The Valkyries set their sights high in free agency, chasing stars like Kelsey Plum, Courtney Vandersloot, and Brionna Jones. But one by one, those players opted for the security of established franchises.

According to The Athletic, their true dream target was Paige Bueckers, but Dallas had no intention of parting with the No. 1 pick. That left General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin, the architect who helped the Liberty assemble Breanna Stewart and Co., facing an uphill climb to bolster Nakase with the right roster.

Next, the Valkyries then did something no one expected in the expansion draft: They selected seven international players.

The roster now boasted talent from seven different countries—the United States, France, Belgium, Australia, Canada, Britain, and Italy. This is how their roster looked after the expansion draft:

• Iliana Rupert, C
• Maria Conde, F
• Veronica Burton, G
• Carla Leite, PG
• Temi Fagbenle, C
• Kate Martin, G
• Stephanie Talbot, F
• Cecilia Zandalasini, F
• Kayla Thornton, F
• Monique Billings, F
• Julie Vanloo, G

It was clear that this roster wasn’t anything to write home about. Expansion teams have it tough, especially in the WNBA, where new franchises get little to no extra support. No lottery picks. No free agency perks. The Valkyries had to build themselves from the ground up, and this was the best Nyanin could assemble.

Coach Nakase took it up as a challenge. In the very first season, the Valkyries have locked in a playoff berth, a feat expansion teams rarely achieve. Meanwhile, teams with stars are struggling. Dallas, with No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers, is nowhere near! Indiana, with Caitlin Clark and a roster stacked with injured veteran talent, is barely clinging to postseason hopes. That’s why Cathy Engelbert’s words hit with weight:

“The Golden State Valkyries have set a high standard in their inaugural season, creating powerful momentum in the Bay Area and for the WNBA.”

What makes her case strong is the belief the team and put in its journey so far.

How Have the Valkyries Performed This Season?

The Golden State Valkyries weren’t expected to leave a mark. Even the franchise itself preached that patience is the key, and the oddsmakers agreed. ESPN BET pegged their preseason win total at just 7.5. But reality has ripped the script. Sitting at a comfortable seed (sixth) with a 23–18 record, the Valkyries are storming toward a playoff berth in their very first season. And much of the credit goes to Coach Natalie Nakase.

Here’s a statistical breakdown of their season so far:

You might have doubts about their offense, but their defense? Golden State’s defense has exceeded all expectations. They limit their opponents to just 29 points per game in the paint, the lowest in the league. Sure, they have had standout individual defenders like Kayla Thornton and Veronica Burton, but the idea that an expansion team would rank third in the league in defensive rating? That was downright unimaginable.

• The Valkyries also crash the boards extremely well, ranking third in defensive rebounding (26.7) and sixth in offensive rebound percentage (8.5)

Coach Nakase always tells her team: “Let it fly.” And they do. While the Golden State Valkyries struggle with field goal efficiency, sitting at a league-low 26.7%, they are deadly from beyond the arc, sinking a league-high ten 3-pointers per game this season.

EssentiallySports’ observation:

Natalie Nakase’s occasional zone defenses shut down drives and prevent kick-out passes, helping the Golden State Valkyries allow the fewest shot attempts in the paint. They collapse the box when needed and dominate in the half-court game. Many of their expansion selections—like Veronica Burton, Kayla Thornton, and Cecilia Zandalasini—have flourished in bigger roles. Players who might have been sidelined on title-contending teams now get to spread their wings under Nakase, showcasing the playmaking, toughness, and shot-making that their previous clubs only glimpsed in short bursts.

Kayla Thornton, for example, became the first Valkyrie to earn an All-Star nod. Veronica Burton, meanwhile, set the record for the most 10-assist, 0-turnover games by a WNBA player in a single season. Recently, she also became just the sixth player in WNBA history to record at least 50 assists in a five-game stretch.

But perhaps the Valkyries’ season has been defined by how they’ve handled injuries and player absences because of national team commitments. Rookie Janelle Salaun, center Temi Fagbenle, and guard Julie Vanloo all left for EuroBasket, and then injuries piled up. Arguably their best player, Kayla Thornton, suffered a season-ending right knee injury right after the All-Star break, while starters Cecilia Zandalasini and Tiffany Hayes are still sidelined.

It hasn’t been an easy task by any means for Natalie Nakase. And that’s exactly why Nakase deserves every bit of credit she’s getting.

Why Natalie Nakase Should Take Home Coach of the Year?

We’ve already made our case for why Coach Nakase deserves Coach of the Year. What she’s accomplished with the Valkyries, despite all the challenges, is nothing short of remarkable. They’re in the playoffs now and have one of the league’s stingiest defenses. But if you’re still on the fence? Let me make her case even stronger.

The Valkyries have shattered the all-time wins record for an expansion team with 23 victories, surpassing the Detroit Shock’s mark of 17 wins set back in 1998, the WNBA’s second season. Back then, the Shock didn’t make the playoffs in a 10-team league where only four teams qualified. But Golden State has now become the first expansion team to reach the playoffs in its debut season.

She’s laid down a blueprint for other franchises on how to take a team built from scratch, with no recognized superstars, and turn them into a competitive squad from year one. As the GM puts it, they were looking “for a person who is unafraid to embrace the unknown, that has a history of understanding the game and just empathy and openness to grow in this space,” and it’s safe to say Natalie Nakase has far exceeded their expectations so far.

So how did Nakase pull all of these? To answer that, we have traced her journey.

Natalie Nakase: The Woman Who Lives to Surpass Expectations

Born in California, Nakase boasts a long, decorated basketball resume. Here’s a quick rundown:

• She was a three-year starter at UCLA despite tearing her ACL as a freshman
• Eventually became the school’s all-time leader in steals, assists, and 3-pointers made
• Played two seasons in the now-defunct National Women’s Basketball League, making history as the first Asian-American to compete
• Spent a year playing in Germany, where another knee injury struck

Nakase had never pictured herself on the sidelines; she wanted her playing career to last forever. But it soon wrapped up as her body had other plans. So did fate. And 2008 opened a new door. After retiring because of injuries, Nakase spent two seasons coaching in Germany, but her aspirations were bigger.

Through networking and sheer determination, she landed on the bench of the Tokyo Apache under former NBA coach Bob Hill. She went from volunteer assistant with the Apache to paid assistant with the Saitama Broncos! When Saitama fired its head coach midseason, Nakase stepped in by becoming the head coach of the men’s team. But that wasn’t all. She found her home on the biggest stage of basketball, the NBA.

Natalie Nakase: “I’m so obsessed with basketball that there is no other job for me”

Nakase climbed the ranks to become a Clippers assistant coach under Doc Rivers before joining Becky Hammon in Las Vegas, where she won two WNBA titles and became the first Asian American coach to do so. Nyanin knew she was the perfect fit for the Valkyries, and when Lacob interviewed her and offered her the job, Nakase later shared her first reaction in an interview with Logan Murdock of The Ringer.

“I remember slamming the table. I’m like, “Joe, I’m ready to sign.”

What do you think? Do you see Coach Natalie Nakase taking home Coach of the Year? The comment section is all yours!