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Valkyries Make Strong Natalie Nakase Statement on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 3:27 PM ET

The Golden State Valkyries closed out June with a strong 7-4 record, ranking among the top half of the WNBA in both offensive efficiency (46.1% field goal percentage, 82.1 points per game) and defense (holding opponents to 75.1 points per game).

They posted three victories by 24 points or more and became the first team this season to feature five players scoring in double figures for three straight games (June 5 at Phoenix Mercury, June 7 vs. Las Vegas Aces, June 9 at Las Vegas).

The team’s +6.9 net plus/minus in June was second in the league, underscoring an immediate impact under first-year head coach Natalie Nakase.

In recognition of that performance, the WNBA named Nakase its Coach of the Month for June, her first such honor in just her second month at the helm.

To celebrate, the Valkyries took to X, declaring simply, "In Natalie we trust ."

In Natalie we trust @JWinery | Celebrating Milestones pic.twitter.com/q9mFkTXRGP
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) July 3, 2025

Nakase has carved an unconventional path to the WNBA’s head coaching ranks.

A walk‑on guard at UCLA, she worked her way up to becoming a three-year starter at point guard for the Bruins, earning All-Pac-10 Team honorable mention as a junior.

After college, Nakase continued playing professionally in the National Women’s Basketball League before knee injuries and league closure prompted her to pivot into coaching overseas in Germany and Japan.

Her break into the NBA came via a video intern role with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2012, where over the next decade, she rose to assistant for the Clippers and their G League affiliate, Agua Caliente Clippers.

In 2022, she joined the Las Vegas Aces as an assistant under Becky Hammon, helping lead the Aces to back‑to‑back league titles, becoming the first Asian American coach to win a WNBA championship.

In October 2024, Nakase made history again as the inaugural coach of the Golden State Valkyries, the league’s first expansion franchise in 17 years.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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