Natalie Nakase talked about her goal of leading the Golden State Valkyries in their inaugural WNBA season. On Friday night, the Golden State Valkyries held their WNBA Expansion Draft. Temi Fagbenle, a former center for the Indiana Fever, and Kate Martin, a former guard for the Las Vegas Aces, are just two of the talented athletes the Valkyries were able to choose. However, Natalie Nakase, the head coach of the Valkyries, revealed her 2024–25 season plan in an ESPN interview via espnW before to the players’ announcement.
“Our goal is to create a culture that is extremely competitive,” Nakase stated. “Obviously, we’re going to shoot some threes, and we’re going to play fast pace.” That’s what we intend to do. Additionally, Nakase disclosed the kinds of athletes she hoped the Valkyries would choose in the draft. “I have three things I can’t compromise on,” The head coach of the Valkyries commented. First and foremost, they must be fiercely competitive. They must truly like winning, and they must detest losing. Second, they must have excellent morals, which entails constantly making sacrifices for the team’s overall success. The final requirement is that they must have an attitude of never being satisfied. To put it another way, I enjoy players who have a little chip on their shoulder. That’s what I prefer, then. To be a great, great musician, they must love.
Natalie Nakase ready to lead Golden State Valkyries
Nakase, 44, was an assistant coach with the Las Vegas Aces from 2022-2024. She played a role in helping the Aces win back-to-back championships during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
There is no question that Nakase has been on track to become a head coach for a long time. It will be difficult to take over an expansion team, though. Nevertheless, Nakase is prepared for the opportunity.
Aces head coach Becky Hammon has been extremely successful in her career. Nakase discussed the impact that Hammon had in Las Vegas.
“Becky is great,” Nakase said. “I’ve kind of said this throughout the last month or so, but Becky just coaches with her heart. You know, she opens up her heart and allows the players to be their authentic selves. So she loves on them and then they love her back and I think that’s really why we won those two championships.”
As previously stated, Kate Martin was chosen by the Valkyries in the expansion draft. Martin has played for Nakase before, having made her WNBA debut in 2024. After having little playing time in 2024, it will be intriguing to see if Martin can advance. This Valkyries team still has a chance to improve in free agency and via trades. Golden State selected 11 players on Friday night, passing on drafting any Seattle Storm players. They may not necessarily be able to add a superstar this offseason, but anything is possible.
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