Natalie Nakase leads Golden State Valkyries to WNBA title

“Body is small, but guts are bigger than a two-meter player.”

That assessment from collegiate mentor Cathy Olivier in 2011 previewed the trajectory of Natalie Nakase, who on Dec. 1 guided the expansion Golden State Valkyries to a WNBA championship in just their second season, Chosun.com reported.

The Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco, capturing the series 4-3. Founded just last year, the franchise secured the fastest title run of any major North American professional sports team—covering the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL—founded since 1967, the year of the first Super Bowl.

The previous record for the fastest championship by an expansion team in those major leagues belonged to the Milwaukee Bucks, who joined the NBA in the 1968-1969 season and won their title in their third year. While the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural 2018 season, they finished as runners-up.

Overcoming Barriers as a Pioneer in Professional Coaching

Nakase, a 46-year-old Japanese-American, stands as a minority within a minority in women’s professional basketball. Across the 15-team WNBA, she is one of six female head coaches and one of just two of Asian descent.

That’s our Head Coach! Welcome, Natalie Nakase 🏀 pic.twitter.com/WlaHiCypyM

— https://x.com/valkyries/status/1844423932096745647

Fifteen years ago, Nakase broke ground as the first female head coach in Japanese men’s professional basketball when she took charge of the Saitama Broncos. After failing to secure a contract extension following the 2012 season due to team performance, she returned to the United States to rebuild her career from the ground up.

She joined the Los Angeles Clippers as an unpaid video analytics intern. Her ability to observe and dissect player movement earned her a promotion to a full-time staff position, leading to a role with the franchise’s G League affiliate and, by 2018, a player development coach position with the Clippers.

Doc Rivers, who managed the Clippers at the time, noted of her hiring, “It didn’t matter if it was a man or a woman. I just thought she was a capable coach.”

Reflecting on her stint in Japan—where she admitted she focused too heavily on drills and preparation at the expense of personal bonds—Nakase revamped her communication style. She began eating meals and drinking coffee with players, building trust off the court to ensure her tactical instruction resonated on it.

Building a Defensive Identity and Managing the Roster

After serving as an assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces from 2022 and helping them secure back-to-back WNBA titles, Nakase accepted the inaugural head coaching job with the Valkyries in 2024.

Because the Valkyries entered the league as an expansion side, they built their roster largely from players left unprotected by existing clubs. Rather than imposing lofty win-loss targets, Nakase told her squad to focus on getting 1% better every day and concentrating on controllable factors.

Defense served as her primary building block. During the recent training camp, she required players to spend the first three days focusing exclusively on defensive drills without touching a basketball. The emphasis paid off as the Valkyries allowed a league-low 75.1 points per game during the regular season. By distributing playing time evenly, the team also topped the WNBA in bench scoring with an average of 35.9 points, improving from a 23-21 record in their inaugural campaign to a 32-12 mark this year.

Securing Game 7 Victory Through Sustained Trust

The championship came down to a tense final game. The Valkyries trailed 30-24 at halftime, and guard Gabby Williams had managed just two points through the first two quarters.

Natalie Nakase on Golden State Valkyries loss vs. Las Vegas Aces | May 31, 2026

Nakase maintained her confidence in the team’s star, telling Williams that an opportunity would certainly arrive. Williams responded by scoring 28 points in the second half to spearhead the comeback.

“I trust her with my life,” Williams said of her coach after the final buzzer.

Nakase echoed that sentiment regarding the collective bond forged within the locker room, stating, “We care for each other unconditionally. That feeling cannot be broken by anything.”