Expansion Valkyries name Aces’ Natalie Nakase first coach

From the time Natalie Nakase watched the Golden State Warriors clinch their first NBA championship under new ownership in 2015, she knew she wanted to work for the team.

That day came to fruition nine years later as on Thursday, Nakase was named the first head coach of the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s latest expansion franchise, which is owned by the Warriors.

Recalling that championship day, Nakase said she was struck not solely by the fact that the Warriors had won, but by the happiness and joy they exhibited along the way. But she knows the Valkyries job comes with the same expectations owner Joe Lacob had for the Warriors when he took over: win a championship within five years.

“I understand the expectations here. You made it really clear,” Nakase said during her introductory news conference, remembering a conversation with Lacob where he mentioned that very five-year plan for the Valkyries. “And I was like, ‘Hell yeah, we’re going to win a championship.’ And I wanted to, just because of his passion and his energy and also his belief.

“I remember leaving our conversation, but I was like, ‘I want to work for Joe. That’s who I want to work for.’ And not only that, I want to bring home that first championship for him.”

As Lacob’s Warriors racked up more championships in 2017 and 2018, Nakase wondered what the secret ingredient was to their success, she recalled Thursday. One time she asked Willie Green, a former Clippers player of hers who later served as a Warriors assistant, and he presented her with a simple answer: “Joe only hires great people.”

“That matters. The people matter,” Nakase said. “That’s really why I wanted to work for Golden State.”

Nakase comes to Golden State with 16 years of professional coaching experience, including the past three seasons as first assistant coach with the 2022 and 2023 WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, where she also served as their top scout for college and international athletes. Before her stint in Las Vegas, she spent 10 seasons with the NBA’s LA Clippers.

Clippers head coach Ty Lue, who worked with Nakase during her tenure as an assistant coach with the Clippers, said the Valkyries made the right hire.

“I love it,” Lue said after Clippers practice Thursday. “One thing about it, she’s going to grind. She’s going to work hard and she’s a true grinder. If she doesn’t know the answer, she’s going to hit everybody up and she gets the right answer. But I’m happy for her and I knew it was coming.

“I’m very excited for Natalie. She’s earned it. From starting here [with the Clippers], then going to the Aces, winning two championships and then now getting her own head-coaching job. She’s definitely ready and they’re going to be happy with the selection they made.”

Nakase also has previous coaching experience, including as a head coach, in the Women’s Professional Basketball German League and Men’s Professional Basketball Japan League. Collegiately she played at UCLA (1998-2003) as a walk-on and three-year captain.

According to the Valkyries, Nakase is believed to be the first Asian American female head coach in league history.

Nakase stood out as a candidate, according to general manager Ohemaa Nyanin, because of her “extremely driven” and inquisitive nature, her work ethic and role as a “unifier.” The coach said she hopes to build a team that has competitive fire and strong work ethic at its foundation and that also champions ball movement and pace — attributes the Warriors brought to the NBA.

“You really have to work because if you’re trying to now beat established teams, like New York, like Minnesota, we have to work just be able to get to that level in a couple years,” Nakase said.

Nakase, Nyanin and president of basketball operations Vanja Cernivec have two months to prepare ahead of the Dec. 6 expansion draft, where they will finally be able to select the inaugural members of their new team. The league has yet to announce how the Valkyries will fit into the 2025 college draft.

Nakase took some time to thank the Aces for her experience with the franchise, which she said taught her how to win with two championships in her and Hammon’s first two years in Las Vegas. “Becky Hammon just has a really big heart, and she created such a loving and caring environment from the jump,” Nakase said. “We just had that initial buy-in from the start, and so I will forever be grateful for them.

“Natalie has played a huge role in our Aces success over the last three years,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said in a statement. “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!”

Nakase said she called Aces players last night to tell them the news and had several tearful and heartfelt conversations.

“I’m just going miss every single player that I’ve coached with the Aces and forever they will be my family,” she said.

The WNBA’s first expansion franchise since 2008, the Valkyries will kick off play for the 2025 season holding games in the Chase Center, located in San Francisco, and training at the Warriors’ former practice facility in Oakland — resources Nakase said will “set [the team and staff] up for success.”

ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this report.