Natalie Nakase received a text message from Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr in October after she was introduced as the head coach of the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s 13th and newest franchise.
“On Day 1 of my press conference, (Steve Kerr) texted me. He goes, ‘Nat, if you need anything… you’re always welcome,'” Nakase recalled to USA TODAY Sports on Thursday. “Why wouldn’t I pick his brain. He won four championships. I would be a fool not to utilize Steve (Kerr).”
Nakase has worked alongside many brilliant basketball minds throughout her coaching career. Nakase served as an assistant coach under Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon the past two seasons and was a key piece in the Aces’ back-to-back WNBA championships (2022, 2023). Before that, Nakase spent 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, working her way up from a video coordinator to an assistant coach and player development coach for both the Clippers and G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers — highlighting the grit and perseverance Nakase wants her team to exemplify on and off the court.
“They have to play like their life depends on it,” Nakase said.
GOLDEN STATE VALKYRIES: New WNBA team picks its players for 2025 in expansion draft. See list
Nakase and the Valkyries took a major step toward building their franchise by selecting their inaugural roster through the WNBA expansion draft on Dec. 6. Nakase handpicked 11 players, each selected from another team. She has the opportunity to add to their lineup through the 2025 WNBA draft and free agency.
“What excites me about building a team from scratch is that we get to intentionally pick our players,” Nakase said. “I’m not inheriting anything.”
The Valkyries’ inaugural roster includes four WNBA champions — center Temi Fagbenle and forward Cecilia Zandalasini (Minnesota Lynx, 2017); center/forward Iliana Rupert (Las Vegas Aces, 2022) and forward Kayla Thornton (New York Liberty, 2024). Although expansion teams haven’t experienced success in their first season in recent years — the Atlanta Dream went 4-30 in its inaugural season in 2008 and the Chicago Sky went 5-29 record in 2006 — Nakase is counting on her team’s championship experience and ability to compete early on.
“It’s not just a skillset we are looking for. I’m looking for ultra competitive. I’m looking for that player that is diving on the floor and getting the rebound,” Nakase said. “High character. I’m looking are they picking their teammates up or are they high-fiving their teammates? Just putting the team before self at all times. Never satisfied mindset.”
Nakase has always had a chip on her shoulder. The 5’2 guard wasn’t highly recruited out of high school. She received a full-ride scholarship from UC Irvine, but ultimately turned it down to walk on at UCLA. After recovering from a knee injury, Nakase went on to become a starter for three seasons, averaging 5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals.
Nakase played two seasons in the now-defunct National Women’s Basketball League (NWBL) with the San Jose Spiders (2005) and San Diego Siege (2006). She competed overseas in Germany (2007–08) before another knee injury ended her playing career. Nakase transitioned to coaching, with stints in Germany and Tokyo, and landed with the Clippers in 2012 and Aces in 2022. She picked up something along the way from each coach.
“Tyron Lue taught me that you have to be able to communicate with every single player,” Nakase said. “The best thing (Becky Hammon) taught me was to coach with an open heart. She has such a big heart. When you have a conversation with her, you feel like you can lean into her and tell her anything because of the way she approaches everything. Having an open heart is huge, that’s why we had quick buy-in with the Las Vegas Aces.”
The Valkyries have yet to hit the floor, but they’ve already got a buy-in from their fanbase. The team surpassed 15,000 season tickets deposits by July to become the first team in women’s sports history to surpass that number, the team announced. By November, the Valkyries surpassed over 20,000 ticket deposits.
“Imagine that in an arena. “It’s unreal,” Nakase said. “Even before we had the expansion draft, I would be just walking around and they, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s the coach of the Valkyries. I’m like they recognize me?”
The Valkyries tip off against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 16.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Golden State Valkyries coach talks ‘never satisfied’ mindset for WNBA
