The Golden State Valkyries are gearing up for what projects to be a monumental first season in the WNBA. The league's newest franchise has a unique opportunity to hit the ground running, with the expansion draft and the quality of the market they play in potentially yielding an impressive debut campaign.
The individual tasked with helping the Valkyries begin their franchise's history with a memorable first season is perfectly equipped to lead the team into a fruitful future.
Golden State hired Natalie Nakase to become the first head coach in franchise history. It was a calculated decision to bring in a locker room leader who knows what it takes to succeed in the WNBA, as well as outside of the league.
The question facing Nakase, of course, is how she plans to guide a team that will enter the 2025 season without any semblance of chemistry.
Thankfully, the expansion draft and WNBA Draft will give Nakase an early opportunity to build a potentially cohesive unit with general manager Ohemaa Nyanin. Free agency will also be an intriguing period for a team that's based in a market that's been conducive to adding top talent in the NBA.
The question is: What exactly does Nakase bring to the table? The answer: Two crucial characteristics that will help the team succeed.
1. Vast coaching experience
When Nakase accepted the job to become head coach of the Valkyries, she took a leap of faith into the unknown. She's never held a job of this magnitude in the WNBA, and is therefore something of an enigma heading into Golden State's debut season.
Thankfully, Nakase has ample coaching experience that lends itself to the belief that she's better prepared for this opportunity than some might presume.
Nakase first got into coaching in 2008, when she took over as head coach of the Wolfenbüttel Wildcats of the German Bundesliga. She then secured assistant and head coaching positions with the Tokyo Apache and Saitama Broncos in Japan.
It's been 12 going on 13 years since Nakase has held a head coaching position, but what she's done in the meantime is as crucial as any other experience.
Nakase continued her coaching journey with the LA Clippers' G League affiliate, then known as the Agua Caliente Clippers. She worked her way up from securing an internship to becoming an assistant coach during Summer League before ultimately joining the Clippers' NBA staff.
Having specialized in player development, Nakase seems tailor-made for the task of coaching an unproven Valkyries team—due in no small part to her most recent experience and championship pedigree.
2. Championship pedigree
Once Tyronn Lue took over for Doc Rivers, Nakase went from an assistant with the LA Clippers to a return to the G League. In 2022, she joined Becky Hammon's staff as the NBA's two longest-tenured women's coaches made the jump to the WNBA with the Las Vegas Aces.
During her three seasons in Las Vegas, Nakase helped the team win back-to-back championships and produced a 27-13 record during her final year with the team.
Bringing that championship pedigree to the Valkyries is essential to the reason optimism surrounds Nakase. The Aces have been as close to a dynasty as you'll find in recent years, and Nakase was instrumental in helping establish the culture and systems that enabled that success.
The hope within the Valkyries appears to be that Nakase can bring her championship pedigree to a franchise that will share a venue with the seven-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
It's difficult to draw lines between succeeding with one team and potential glory with another. Nakase has traveled a long and challenging path to where she is today, however, and has shown great resilience in the face of adversity to become a two-time WNBA champion as an assistant coach.
If the Aces' dominance is a sign of things to come, then the Valkyrie have hired a head coach who knows exactly what it takes to win at the highest level.