Natalie Nakase’s basketball dedication has been recognized with the retirement of her high school jersey. She possesses an impressive resume as a former professional basketball player and currently serves as an assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces in the Women’s National Basketball Association.
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To honor their assistant coach, the Las Vegas family exclusively dedicated a video message to Instagram, and one of the most notable messages was from Candace Parker.
A deserving honor by Candace Parker
Candace Parker in her message to Natalie said, “Congratulations on getting your jersey retired. So well-deserved. I know you busted your b**t as a coach, and I know you did the same for the player. Your love for the game is electric, and I just really enjoy being coached by you. Thank you so much for being you, and enjoy the night.”
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Retiring jersey is considered as the highest honor a player can receive. The basketball program at Marina Girls High School organized a memorable and grand ceremony to celebrate the achievements of their most celebrated player. During the ceremony, The No 11 jersey of Marina was officially retired.
A journey through the coaching area
Throughout her journey as a player, Natalia has been dealing with knee ailments. So she decided to coach rather than play.
She started her career with the Wolftonbettel Wildcats. But after coaching the Wildcats for 10 seasons, she went to Japan in the budding hopes of playing in the league. But Japan doesn’t allow foreigners, which was a big setback to her.
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She later joined as a video intern for the Los Angeles Clippers, and eventually in 2018, her growth skyrocketed as an assistant coach for their team. Then, in 2022, she made a significant move to join the Aces in the WNBA. It was during this time that she achieved a remarkable milestone, becoming the first Asian American coach to win a WNBA title.
