Golden State Valkyries name Natalie Nakase head coach

What they're saying: Nakase, who has over 16 years of professional basketball coaching experience, called the news "a lifelong dream come true" in a press release Thursday.

• "We are committed to building a winning culture of grit, hard work, and competitiveness," the Los Angeles native said. "We will strive to improve, compete, and ultimately bring home a championship for our fans and this organization."'
• Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin noted that Nakase "exemplifies every character trait in what we were looking for in a head coach."

State of play: Nakase comes to the Valkyries with a strong record.

• As first assistant coach, she helped steer the Aces to back-to-back WNBA Championships in 2022 and 2023.
• During her three years with the team, the Aces topped the WNBA's defensive rating charts with a rating of 97.7.

The big picture: Nakase was the first Asian American to play in the now-defunct National Women's Basketball League, where she did stints with the San José Spiders and San Diego Siege.

• After retiring in 2008, she joined a women's team in Germany as head coach before becoming the first woman to serve as head coach in Japan's top pro men's league.

• In 2017, she became an assistant coach to the Los Angeles Clippers' NBA G League development team and was bumped up to assistant for the Clippers in 2018.
• She joined the Aces in 2022, going on to became the first Asian American coach to win an WNBA title.

What's next: The Valkyries' first season kicks off at San Francisco's Chase Center in spring 2025.