“We will strive to improve, compete, and ultimately bring home a championship for our fans and this organization” is what Natalie Nakase said in her statement after becoming the first head coach of the Golden State Valkyries on October 10, 2024. And exactly two years later, Nakase’s side swept her mentor Becky Hammon’s side, the reigning champions Las Vegas Aces, 3-0 in the WNBA semifinals. The Valkyries are now one step away from fulfilling Nakase’s dream.
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No one could have predicted the Valkyries’ rise as an expansion side to reach the WNBA mountaintop in record time, be it in valuation, crowd attendance, ticket sales, or especially on the court.
However, there is a reason WNBA legend Sue Bird is known for having a comprehensive perspective (it makes sense that her podcast is named Bird’s Eye View). The Team USA Managing Director who chose Nakase as an assistant coach for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup has now revealed the hunger that drives the 46-year-old to accept nothing less than the best.
“She’s obsessed … She loves basketball. She’s obsessed with doing a good job … She’s so passionate about being a coach … and wanting this team to be successful.” Bird said about Nakase, per USA Today reporter Meghan L. Hall on X.
While the Valkyries have only existed for two seasons in the W, the signs were there from the beginning that they would become something great. With 23 wins in the regular season, the Valkyries shocked the world by becoming the first expansion side in history to qualify for the playoffs in their inaugural season, albeit as the eighth and final seed to do so.
While the Valkyries were unfortunately bested by the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs, Natalie Nakase’s efforts were not overshadowed by this loss. The 46-year-old went on to win the 2025 WNBA Coach of the Year award.
“It’s a huge honor. You know, obviously representation for me matters, especially when I sit in this seat more and more, and I get to see the fans and I get to meet little girls that look like me, and they come up to me and they say, I inspire them, which I would never have thought.” Nakase, who became the first Asian-American coach in WNBA history, reflected on her milestone.
In just one season, Nakase helped lay the foundation. The playoff series against the Lynx was proof that the team hit its quality ceiling, so with the free-agent additions of French star Gabby Williams and Kiah Stokes in the offseason, the Valkyries went from a possible one-season wonder to a powerhouse franchise.
This season is when Nakase’s decade’s worth of coaching experience in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers truly came to fruition. The Valkyries finished the regular season as the second seed with 32 wins. And in a team with almost no off-court drama and no egos clashing, teamwork was in the spotlight, and that reflected on the stat sheets.
Natalie Nakase made defense one of her team’s key attributes. And her players did not let her down, ranking No. 1 in the regular season with a 99.1 defensive rating (allowing 101.4 points per 100 possessions). This was further highlighted when the Valkyries took on the Aces in the semis.
In the first two games, the Aces, a team that finished second in offensive rating (112.9, top five all-time), struggled to manage even a 100 (97.2 through two). Following her defeat, even Becky Hammon could not do anything but tip her hat to her former assistant coach.
“They really play great team ball. On any given night any of them can have 15, 20 on you because they share the ball, and it seems—I don’t know her team that well, but it just seems like nobody cares who gets the credit, and that’s a really special thing to have on a team, and I think Golden State has that.” Hammon said about Nakase’s Valkyries, per a video on the Aces’ YouTube channel.
Now, the only hurdle for Nakase and the Valkyries to overcome before lifting the WNBA championship is Karl Smesko’s Atlanta Dream. Smesko finished second to Nakase in last year’s Coach of the Year award, and he will be looking to become the first Dream HC to bring the trophy to Atlanta.
The Valkyries have won all three of their regular-season matchups against the Dream. But as we know, the playoffs are a different beast, and the Dream are yet to lose, let alone at State Farm Arena. October 17 cannot come sooner, as it will be exciting to see which franchise wins their first WNBA championship.