Valkyries Head Coach Natalie Nakase knows a thing or two about breaking barriers. In an interview with Marie Claire's "Nice Talk" podcast, Nakase revealed the worst bit of advice she's received so far in her career and also emphasized the importance of opening up doors for the women who will come after her.
Nakase told the podcast she once interviewed for a coaching job that didn't work out. "I was getting a little bit of a reflection of why I didn't get the job," she said. "They said, 'You should get married and have a family, and then you'll know what it's like to take care of people, and you'll be a better coach.'"
In retrospect, she added, the position "wasn't the right fit." And that mentality helped her down the road, Nakase added. "When you start thinking like that, then you really start to continue to improve and get excited and really want to go after jobs."
Natalie Nakase says she "can't breathe without basketball"
Nakase also emphasized the importance of basketball in her life. "I can't breathe without basketball, so it just happens," she said. "But now, as it's coming to fruition and people are talking about it, I'm taking it more like it's an honor...and it's a responsibility. Now that people are listening, people are watching, I want to make sure that whatever I do, I really want to be legendary."
And while her focus is on leading the Valkyries to multiple championships as a team, that doesn't mean she wants to get in the way of other women who want to go into coaching, even if they coach rival teams. As the first woman to coach a top basketball team in Japan and the first Asian American to coach a WNBA team period, Nakase knows what it takes to succeed at the highest levels.
"If you want to be a coach or an assistant coach in professional sports, let me know. You know, how can I help? I want to continue this," Nakase said. "Just because I'm first doesn't mean anything. I want to open up the doors and help people as best as I can because I love this job. I love basketball."
Nakase also spoke to "Nice Talk" about her own path as a basketball player (she was not recruited heavily out of high school and walked on to her dream team at UCLA) and her coaching philosophy. You can listen to the podcast here.