Valkyries Head Coach Natalie Nakase is known for the years she spent on staff at the Aces, but long before she joined Becky Hammon's staff, Nakase was honored for her contributions to basketball by former President Barack Obama.
In May 2013 Obama celebrated Nakase, then a video coordinator for the Clippers, for her achievements. Nakase, who is a third-generation Japanese-American, was the first Asian American to play in the National Women's Basketball League (an offseason professional league in the United States) in 2003. She joined the league's San Jose Spiders before moving on to the San Diego Siege.
Nakase also played for the German Herne TC and coached a team in the country. In 2011, Nakase became the first woman to coach a professional Japanese men's team when she took over as Head Coach of the Saitama Broncos.
Natalie Nakase said she was "trained to work hard every day"
The future Valkyries coach was chosen as one of 15 Champions for Change as part of the administration's larger celebration of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In an essay Nakase wrote as part of the honor, she explained her job as a video coordinator included "long hours mostly watching tape," but that she enjoyed it, as her goals at the time included coaching in the NBA.
"At a young age, I was trained to work hard every day," Nakase shared. "My dad might as well have this motto: No Days Off. He works weekends and rarely takes a vacation day. He ingrained in his kids that summers were for off-season training, not for vacation. My dad is also passionate about basketball – watching and playing. Obviously, his obsession eventually became mine."
Nakase added that she connected with former NBA coach Bob Hill, who helped her understand it's crucial to "always be prepared for the next step." It's clear that this is a mentality she's applied to her work ever since, particularly in how she and the Valkyries front office handled December's Expansion Draft.
Nakase enjoyed a strong collegiate career
Before she moved into the NBA, Coach Nakase played basketball for UCLA. She was red-shirted her freshman year after suffering a knee injury, but by 2001, she started in all 29 games for the Bruins — a major deal for her, since she had turned down a scholarship from the University of California, Irvine, to walk on at UCLA.