Natalie Nakase will be leading the Valkyries in the 2025 WNBA season and ahead of Golden State's maiden journey, the new head coach laid out what she expects from her squad in its inaugural season. Nakase has spent her WNBA coaching career with the Las Vegas Aces , fine tuning her craft under Becky Hammon since 2022. As a member of the Aces coaching staff, Nakase won two titles, winning back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023, before being named the Valkyries' first head coach and becoming the first Asian-American head coach in league history after the 2024 season.
The 44-year-old also spent time with Doc Rivers as a video intern for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers , further expanding her basketball portfolio. Because of her experience, Nakase understands what is needed for the Valkyries to be successful, especially as Golden State begins its first season. Caitlin Clark has three-word message for former Iowa teammate after WNBA expansion draft WNBA blunder forces new franchise into announcement - 'nothing ever goes as planned' During an interview on ESPN before the 2025 WNBA Expansion Draft, Nakase explained which types of players she and general manager Ohemaa Nyanin would be selecting.
"I have three non-negotiables," Nakase began, per ClutchPoints . "Number one, they have to be ultra-competitive. "They have to really love winning and they have to hate to lose.
Number two, they have to be high character, so that means that they have to sacrifice for the greater good of th.
