The subsequent constructing block is in place for the Golden State Valkyries.
The WNBA growth staff introduced Thursday the inaugural head coach can be Natalie Nakase, who simply accomplished her third season as a Las Vegas Aces assistant.
Nakase joins basic supervisor Ohemaa Nyanin and president Jess Smith in Golden State’s management group. The Valkyries will start play within the upcoming 2025 season. Their first alternative to construct their roster will come on Dec. 6 within the league’s growth draft.
When she was introduced as the final supervisor, Nyanin stated, “For the coach, I’m just looking for a person who is unafraid to embrace the unknown, that has a history of understanding the game and just empathy and openness to grow in this space.”
Nakase has an extended, embellished basketball resume in California and has constantly sought out new challenges. She was a three-year starter at UCLA after strolling on as a freshman after which performed two seasons within the now-defunct National Women’s Basketball League, together with one for the San Jose Spiders.
After retiring as a result of accidents, she coached in Germany and the highest Japanese males’s league earlier than returning to the U.S. to intern for the LA Clippers. She ultimately rose to turn out to be a Clippers assistant coach beneath Doc Rivers earlier than leaving to affix Becky Hammon in Las Vegas, the place she received two titles.
Now, Nakase takes over the top job for California’s latest franchise.
“Natalie has played a huge role in our Aces’ success over the last three years,” Hammon stated. “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. We wish her the best in her next great opportunity as the first head coach of the Golden State Valkyries.”
Aces gamers have credited Nakase’s work ethic and a focus to element. Hammon known as her “a great basketball mind” and has relied on her to assist lead drills in observe and shootarounds alongside fellow assistant coach Tyler Marsh. Nakase labored frequently with Jackie Young within the offseason previous to her second-team All-WNBA season in 2023.
She’ll have a clean slate in Golden State and must foster comparable participant growth trajectories for the Valkyries to realize proprietor Joe Lacob’s objective of successful a championship inside 5 years. Even although that is her first time stateside as a head coach, Nakase was some of the enticing names on the teaching market.
General managers recognized her as one to look at in The Athletic’s nameless ballot final season, and she or he was beforehand a finalist for the Phoenix Mercury emptiness in 2022. The Valkyries additionally took Nakase off the market 4 days after the Aces’ season ended, earlier than different groups with openings, together with the native Los Angeles Sparks, might rent her.
Her absence will essentially change the make-up of the Aces — Hammon was already lamenting how totally different the locker room would take care of Las Vegas misplaced within the WNBA semifinals — however that is the championship expertise and recent perspective that Golden State stated it desired.
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(Photo: Garrett Ellwood / NBAE through Getty Images)
