Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase aims to inculcate Aces' philosophies on her team

The Golden State Valkyries are preparing for their inaugural WNBA season in 2025. On Thursday, the team named Natalie Nakase as the first head coach in team history. Nakase was an assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces from 2022-2024 and was previously an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers.

As she prepares for her first season as a head coach for the WNBA's newest team, Nakase touched on her plan to instill the philosophies of her former team, the Las Vegas Acess. Here's what she said during the Golden State Warriors' preseason game on Friday night.

"I think with an expansion team, we're probably going to be a little bit younger. So I think we're going to hang our hats on defense. Like, our defense is going to carry our offense, and how we won those championships [in Las Vegas] was on the defensive end."

Nakase stressed the importance of defense as a young team but also discussed her plan to be successful on the offensive end.

"Offensively, we want to space the floor, high-pace-like game, but we also want passing. I want passing. I want that ball to be moving, because that's unguardable. Holding the ball, iso, that is so easy to guard, but I want that ball moving."

It's clear that Nakase's Golden State Valkyries will be a defensive-minded team from the jump.

Natalie Nakase's championship pedigree

Natalie Nakase helped the Aces to back-to-back championships in her first two seasons as a WNBA assistant coach. Nakase's championship experience makes her an impressive candidate when looking at her resume.

Natalie Nakase also has NBA coaching experience in her background. Before landing in Las Vegas, Nakase spent 11 years with the Los Angeles Clippers in numerous roles throughout the coaching staff.

Prior to her jump to the WNBA, Nakase worked in a dual role with duties as an assistant coach and player development coach for the Clippers' G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers.

As a player, Nakase was a three-year starter at UCLA after walking on to the school. She went on to play two seasons in the National Women's Basketball League in 2005 and 2006, and one season overseas in Germany.