Golden State Valkyries appoint Natalie Nakase as Head Coach

The Golden State Valkyries are pleased to announce the appointment of Natalie Nakase as the new head coach. With over 16 years of coaching experience in professional basketball, including a decade with the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA and three seasons as the first assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces, Nakase brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the team. She will report directly to Valkyries General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin, and her tenure will officially commence on October 21.

“Being named the head coach of the Golden State Valkyries is a lifelong dream come true,” said Nakase. “I am thankful to Joe Lacob, Ohemaa Nyanin and the Golden State front office for entrusting me with this responsibility. We are committed to building a winning culture of grit, hard work, and competitiveness. We will strive to improve, compete, and ultimately bring home a championship for our fans and this organization.”

Nakase has spent the past three years (2022-2024) as the first assistant coach for the Aces, where she played a pivotal role in leading the team to consecutive WNBA Championships in 2022 and 2023. During her tenure, the Las Vegas team achieved the top defensive rating in the WNBA for 2023, with an impressive rating of 97.7. Her responsibilities included making in-game adjustments, managing substitution rotations, overseeing end-of-game decisions, developing timeout strategies, utilizing the head coach’s challenges, managing the game clock, and coordinating team strategy on both offense and defense. Additionally, Nakase served as the Aces’ primary scout for both college and international talent. Under her guidance, the Aces recorded an 87-29 overall record over the past three seasons, including a 19-6 record in playoff games.

Golden State’s newly established WNBA expansion team has officially announced their team name as the Valkyries

“Natalie is the perfect candidate to lead the Valkyries as our head coach,” said Nyanin. “She exemplifies every character trait in what we were looking for in a head coach and possesses deep expertise across professional basketball. Her journey is representative of the grit and perseverance that our team will embody to achieve our ultimate goal of winning championships.”

Before joining the Aces, Nakase dedicated ten seasons to the Clippers in various roles, culminating in her position as an assistant coach and player development coach, where she served in a dual capacity for both the NBA team and their G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers. In this role, she supported then-Head Coach Tyronn Lue with in-game strategies for offense and defense, as well as contributed to player development and the preparation of defensive scouting reports.

“Her bright mind, relentless work ethic and ability to build relationships with our players has had a lasting impact on not just our organization, players and staff but also throughout the Las Vegas community,” Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon said. “We wish her the best in her next great opportunity.”

Nakase began her coaching career in 2008 with the Women’s Professional Basketball German League, where she served as the head coach of the Wolfenbuttel Wildcats for two seasons (2008-2010). Following this, she took on the role of assistant coach for the Tokyo Apache in the Men’s Professional Basketball Japan League for one season (2010-2011). She then transitioned to the head coach position at the Saitama Broncos from 2011 to 2012, making history as the first woman to fulfill the head coach role in the league.