Who is Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase? Looking at former WNBA champion landing deal with league's 13th franchise

Ahead of their debut WNBA season, the Golden State Valkyries named Natalie Nakase their first head coach Thursday. Nakase, 44, has a long career as a coach after a short professional career.

Born in Anaheim, California, she played college basketball at UCLA from 1998 through 2003 before becoming a pro, although she didn't make it to the WNBA. She played two seasons in the National Women's Basketball League with the San Jose Spiders and San Diego Siege before heading to Germany, where she played for one season. Her career ended due to a knee injury, but she stayed in Germany to coach from 2008 to 2010.

Before taking on the Valkyries job, Nakase worked with the Wolfenbuttel Wildcats and Saitama Broncos in a head-coaching role. She boasted a 12-29 record in 41 games with the Broncos, finishing 10th in the 2011-12 season.

Nakase was an assistant for the Tokyo Apache, Agua Caliente Clippers (twice), LA Clippers and Las Vegas Aces, where she won two WNBA titles (2022 and 2023).

Besides becoming the Golden State Valkyries' first-ever head coach, she's the first female Asian-American to coach in the WNBA. The Valkyries were awarded a franchise in 2023.

Natalie Nakase explains what type of coach she will be for Golden State Valkyries

After the Golden State Valkyries introduced her as the team's head coach, Natalie Nakase appeared in a video introducing herself to fans.

"I'm a big believer in leaders who have a big heart and who care about players not just through the win but also through the losses and mistakes," she said. "I think when you have that, players will just run through a wall for you.

"I'm going to be a truth-teller. I'm going to be a pusher. How my dad taught me was, be really hard, but at the same time, be really supportive. Main thing that I want is just to always have full confidence in my players and I want them to always have confidence within themselves."

The WNBA will hold the expansion draft on Dec. 6, when the Golden State Valkyries can pick from available players previously designated by the other 12 teams in the league. They will have the chance to add more talent in the 2025 WNBA Draft, which could set them up to compete from the very beginning.