Natalie Nakase has left the Las Vegas Aces to become the first head coach of the Golden State Valkyries.
On Thursday, the Valkyries - the newest WNBA expansion team set to start play in 2025 - announced Nakase as the inaugural head coach of the franchise. Nakase joins general manager Ohemaa Nyanin and president Jess Smith in Golden State’s leadership group, with the trio set to combine for the expansion draft on Dec. 6.
Nakase revealed the opportunity to be the Valkyries head coach was the chance to fulfill a “dream”. After she was announced, the 44-year-old said: “Being named the head coach of the Golden State Valkyries is a lifelong dream come true… We will strive to improve, compete, and ultimately bring home a championship for our fans and organization.”
Nakase has enjoyed a lengthy and decorated basketball career while blazing a trail for Asian Americans in the sport. She played collegiately for UCLA, receiving honorable mention as an all-conference player in the Pacific-10 before becoming the first Asian American to play in the National Women’s Basketball League (NWBL).
After a knee injury while playing abroad in Germany ended her career, Nakase went into coaching and became the first female head coach in Japan’s top pro men’s league before returning to the United States to join Doc Rivers’ LA Clippers as a video intern in 2012. Nakase served as an assistant coach to the Clippers’ NBA G League team, Agua Caliente, in 2017 before joining the Aces in the WNBA in 2022.
In Las Vegas, Nakuse became the first Asian American coach to win a WNBA title, where she worked with Becky Hammon . Now, she is set to become the first Asian American head coach in WNBA history.
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“Natalie has played a huge role in our Aces’ success over the last three years,” Hammon said. “Her bright mind, relentless work ethic, and ability to build relationships with our players has had a lasting impact on not just our organization, players, and staff but also throughout the Las Vegas community. We wish her the best in her next great opportunity as the first head coach of the Golden State Valkyries.”
On Thursday, Nyanin revealed the Valkyries’ coaching search included international, collegiate, and professional candidates. But the general manager is excited to secure the services of Nakase.
“Why Natalie? She is extremely driven,” Nyanin said. “She’s a unifier. Through the interview process, she had a focus on surrounding herself with a diverse coaching staff that would be able to develop and maintain trust for all of our future athletes. She’s a poised, hard worker.”
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