Natalie Nakase named head coach for the WNBA expansion Golden State Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries announced on Thursday that Natalie Nakase will be the franchise's first-ever head coach.

“Natalie is the perfect candidate to lead the Valkyries as our head coach,” said Ohemaa Nyanin, the Valkyries General Manager. “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.”

Natalie Nakase will be the first head coach in Golden State Valkyries history

Nakase joins Golden State after spending the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the Las Vegas Aces. Nakase was a part of the Aces back-to-back championship run in 2022 and 2023. Before being with the Aces, she was in various roles with the Los Angeles Clippers for a decade.

A walk-on player at UCLA, Nakase was a team captain and a three-year starter for the Bruins. She played professionally in the National Women's Basketball League for two years and one year overseas in Germany before a career-ending knee injury in 2008.

Nakase's expertise is on the defensive end. While with the Aces, the team had the best defensive rating in the league in 2023.

"Natalie has played a huge role in our Aces success over the last three years," Aces Head Coach Becky Hammon said after the announcement. "Her bright mind, relentless work ethic and ability to build relationships with our players has had a lasting impact on 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!"

The Valkyries will begin building their first roster in the expansion draft, taking place on Dec. 6. The rest of the league doesn't have to confirm the six players they'll be protecting until 10 days before that but there will almost certainly be some rotation-ready talent available for Golden State.