Valkyries Take Flight with a New Kind of Leader

     When the Golden State Valkyries announced Natalie Nakase as the first head coach in franchise history, they didn’t just make a basketball hire. They made a statement. The WNBA’s newest team, preparing for its inaugural season, didn’t reach into the usual bin of recycled names and familiar resumes. Instead, they chose a coach who has spent her entire career fighting for the kind of opportunity most people told her she’d never get. Nakase’s journey from UCLA point guard to G League assistant to a historic role in the NBA to now leading the Valkyries is a story stitched together by resilience, reinvention, and a relentless refusal to accept no for an answer.

Nakase is no stranger to firsts. She was the first woman to coach in the Japanese men’s professional league and later broke barriers on Doc Rivers’ bench with the LA Clippers, becoming one of the NBA’s few female assistants at the time. Her presence was often met with skepticism, not because of her basketball IQ but because of how unusual it was to see a five-foot-one Asian American woman holding a clipboard in a men’s huddle. She didn’t just show up to prove people wrong. She showed up to prove that she belonged. Now, as the WNBA continues to expand and evolve, she’s doing it again, bringing that same energy to a Valkyries team looking to carve out its own identity in a league that’s never been more competitive.

The significance of Nakase’s hire runs deeper than Xs and Os. She is the first Asian American head coach in WNBA history, and her appointment is a milestone for a league that prides itself on inclusivity but has rarely seen that diversity reflected in its coaching ranks. Nakase carries that visibility with quiet power. She doesn’t pander to labels, but she understands what her presence means, especially to young girls who rarely see someone who looks like them leading on a national stage. For a franchise named after mythological warriors, Nakase is a fitting leader—disciplined, fearless, and unbothered by noise.

Her basketball philosophy mirrors her career path: build from the ground up, stay curious, and never fake toughness. Nakase is known for her obsessive film study and a coaching style that blends intensity with deep personal connection. She demands effort but earns trust. Her players know she’s walked through fire to get where she is, and that kind of credibility resonates. In a league that increasingly values culture as much as talent, Nakase’s ability to set the tone early could be the Valkyries’ most valuable asset.

This hire also signals that the Golden State organization isn’t treating its expansion lightly. They aren’t just looking to exist in the WNBA; they want to matter. Bringing in Nakase, who has spent years absorbing lessons in both men’s and women’s basketball, sends a message that this team is building something thoughtful and long-term. She isn’t a placeholder or a feel-good story. She’s a tactician with a track record and a point to prove.

The road ahead won’t be easy. Expansion teams usually face a steep climb, and the WNBA is more stacked with talent than ever. But Nakase has never had a smooth road. That’s what makes her such an intriguing figure to lead a team starting from scratch. She understands what it’s like to be underestimated and overlooked, and she knows how to build something meaningful in the margins. For the Valkyries, that grit might be their clearest advantage.

What Golden State is attempting here isn’t just about wins and losses. It’s about laying a foundation that reflects the values of the Bay Area—innovation, diversity, and ambition. In Nakase, they’ve found a coach who brings all three. Her story isn’t neat or easy, but that’s what makes it powerful. The Valkyries aren’t trying to replicate anyone else’s blueprint. They’re trying to write their own myth. With Nakase at the helm, the first chapter already feels worth reading.