Alexa Philippou, ESPN
From the time Natalie Nakase watched the Golden State Warriors clinch their first NBA championship below new possession in 2015, she knew she needed to work for the staff.
That day got here to fruition 9 years later as on Thursday, Nakase was named the primary head coach of the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA's newest growth franchise, which is owned by the Warriors.
Recalling that championship day, Nakase mentioned she was struck not solely by the truth that the Warriors had gained, however by the happiness and pleasure they exhibited alongside the best way. But she is aware of the Valkyries job comes with the identical expectations proprietor Joe Lacob had for the Warriors when he took over: win a championship inside 5 years.
“I understand the expectations here. You made it really clear,” Nakase mentioned throughout her introductory information convention, remembering a dialog with Lacob the place he talked about that very five-year plan for the Valkyries. “And I was like, ‘Hell yeah, we're going to win a championship.' And I wanted to, just because of his passion and his energy and also his belief.
“I keep in mind leaving our dialog, however I used to be like, ‘I would like to work for Joe. That's who I would like to work for.' And not solely that, I would like to convey house that first championship for him.”
As Lacob's Warriors racked up more championships in 2017 and 2018, Nakase wondered what the secret ingredient was to their success, she recalled Thursday. One time she asked Willie Green, a former Clippers player of hers who later served as a Warriors assistant, and he presented her with a simple answer: “Joe solely hires nice individuals.”
“That issues. The individuals matter,” Nakase said. “That's actually why I needed to work for Golden State.”
Nakase comes to Golden State with 16 years of professional coaching experience, including the past three seasons as first assistant coach with the 2022 and 2023 WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, where she also served as their top scout for college and international athletes. Before her stint in Las Vegas, she spent 10 seasons with the NBA's LA Clippers.
Clippers head coach Ty Lue, who worked with Nakase during her tenure as an assistant coach with the Clippers, said the Valkyries made the right hire.
“I find it irresistible,” Lue said after Clippers practice Thursday. “One factor about it, she's going to grind. She's going to work arduous and she or he's a real grinder. If she would not know the reply, she's going to hit everyone up and she or he will get the appropriate reply. But I'm completely satisfied for her and I knew it was coming.
“I'm very excited for Natalie. She's earned it. From starting here [with the Clippers], then going to the Aces, winning two championships and then now getting her own head-coaching job. She's definitely ready and they're going to be happy with the selection they made.”
Nakase additionally has earlier teaching expertise, together with as a head coach, within the Women's Professional Basketball German League and Men's Professional Basketball Japan League. Collegiately she performed at UCLA (1998-2003) as a walk-on and three-year captain.
According to the Valkyries, Nakase is believed to be the primary Asian American feminine head coach in league historical past.
Nakase stood out as a candidate, in accordance to common supervisor Ohemaa Nyanin, due to her “extremely driven” and inquisitive nature, her work ethic and function as a “unifier.” The coach mentioned she hopes to construct a staff that has aggressive fireplace and powerful work ethic at its basis and that additionally champions ball motion and tempo — attributes the Warriors introduced to the NBA.
“You really have to work because if you're trying to now beat established teams, like New York, like Minnesota, we have to work just be able to get to that level in a couple years,” Nakase mentioned.
Nakase, Nyanin and president of basketball operations Vanja Cernivec have two months to put together forward of the Dec. 6 growth draft, the place they may lastly have the opportunity to choose the inaugural members of their new staff. The league has but to announce how the Valkyries will match into the 2025 school draft.
Nakase took a while to thank the Aces for her expertise with the franchise, which she mentioned taught her how to win with two championships in her and Hammon's first two years in Las Vegas. “Becky Hammon just has a really big heart, and she created such a loving and caring environment from the jump,” Nakase mentioned. “We just had that initial buy-in from the start, and so I will forever be grateful for them.
“Natalie has performed an enormous function in our Aces success over the past three years,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said in a statement. “Her vivid thoughts, relentless work ethic and skill to construct relationships with our gamers has had a long-lasting impression on not simply our group, gamers and employees but in addition all through the Las Vegas neighborhood! We want her one of the best in her subsequent nice alternative as the primary Head Coach of the Golden State Valkyries!”
Nakase said she called Aces players last night to tell them the news and had several tearful and heartfelt conversations.
“I'm simply going miss each single participant that I've coached with the Aces and ceaselessly they are going to be my household,” she said.
The WNBA's first expansion franchise since 2008, the Valkyries will kick off play for the 2025 season holding games in the Chase Center, located in San Francisco, and training at the Warriors' former practice facility in Oakland — resources Nakase said will “set [the team and staff] up for achievement.”
ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this report.
