Natalie Nakase didn't exactly sail into the head coach position for the Golden State Valkyries.
Despite her impressive resume (Nakase was honored by then-President Barack Obama for her work in basketball in May 2013), Nakase was put through her paces during the interview process.
"I got interviewed during the Olympic break, so it's been a long process. I had a lengthy, lengthy interview," she told People in an interview published on February 27. And once she had lunch with the team's owner Joe Lacob, within the first five minutes he said, "'You're going to have to win in five years.'"
Cool. Got it.
But Nakase was into the challenge; she's a hard worker and isn't afraid of a seemingly uphill battles. Expansion teams aren't known for winning championships right away in the WNBA, but there's no reason why Golden State can't buck that trend.
Natalie Nakase and Kate Martin are close
Nakase also opened up about the relationship she shares with Kate Martin, who played on the Las Vegas Aces while Nakase was an assistant coach with the team last year.
Martin will be a "culture changer" for the team, Nakase said. "When Kate walks into the arena or she walks into the practice, you feel her and you hear her because she's really loud, because she comes with so much energy," she explained.
"I'm really excited because every day I know I'm going to have a really competitive player every single day that I can count on."
That sentiment echoed one Martin previously expressed after she was drafted to the team in December. "Coach Nakase is somebody you're going to run through a brick wall for... those are the kind of coaches that you just want to give your all for," Martin told ESPN at the time.
Martin also said she sees plenty of opportunities on the team for herself. "My ceiling is very high," she explained. "Coach Nakase hangs her hat on defense. I want to be able to be somebody who can lock down the number one or two option on other teams."
The chance to build a team from the very beginning is something that's only been afforded to a relatively small number of players in the WNBA. The last Expansion Draft took place all the way back in 2008, when the Atlanta Dream joined the league. Though the Dream had a lackluster first season, they drafted former University of Louisville forward/guard Angel McCoughtry as the first overall pick the following year, a decision that proved fruitful.