Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase comes from a storied basketball background. She was the first woman to coach a men's professional team in Japan, and spent several years as an assistant coach for both the Los Angeles Clippers and the Las Vegas Aces before moving to the Bay Area.
But there was still one thing Nakase needed to understand before the Valkyries' inaugural season, and she turned toward other head coaches to get the answer. In an interview with SB Nation, Nakase explained, "My biggest thing was: how can I pick the brains of head coaches that win quickly?"
To get that answer, she connected with the Celtics' Head Coach Joe Mazzulla, the youngest coach to win an NBA Championship since Bill Russell.
Joe Mazzulla told Natalie Nakase everything she wanted to know
Mazzulla was generous with his answers, Nakase told the outlet. "He was like, ‘What do you want to know? What questions do you have for me?' I’m like, ‘Are you for real? Like, aren’t you in-season?’ And he was like, ‘I got time.’"
She added that Mazzulla seemed unconcerned about how his answers could be misinterpreted, and was instead extremely honest with her. "[He was] like, ‘this is me, this is who I am, and take it however you want,'" Nakase told SB Nation. "And I think it’s kind of his mentality, right? Like, win-or-die."
For Mazzulla, part of the appeal of speaking with Nakase is that he enjoys mentoring younger coaches. "One of the things that I like to give back to coaching is really being there for young coaches who are getting a great opportunity, who haven’t done it before," he said to SB Nation.
"[I’m] just trying to give the perspective of what comes with that, the good and the bad."
Natalie Nakase wants the Golden State Valkyries to win
It's well-known that expansion teams typically struggle in the WNBA, but that doesn't mean they have to. Nakase has been open about her goals for the team. She knows how to win and is focused on leading her team to victory as soon and as frequently as possible.
To do that, she will first need to build a culture influenced and supported by the Bay Area. That can be difficult right out of the gate, but the team needs to show everyone who they are. This is something Kate Martin touched on during All Star Weekend as well when she told Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe the team has to define their culture and "have to set the tone right away to show what we want that to be."
After that, the business of winnings games will begin. With openers against the Sparks and the Mystics — two teams who are definitely rebuilding right now — the Valkyries might have a shot at a few early season wins that would significantly boost fan and player morale.