WNBA’s Valkyries Hires First Female Asian American Coach in League’s History

The Golden State Valkyries have announced Natalie Nakase as its first head coach, making her the first female Asian American to hold a head coaching position in the league’s history.

Nakase, who is of Japanese descent, comes to the Valkyries with extensive experience. She has served as an assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces since 2022, where she helped the team secure consecutive championship titles under head coach Becky Hammon. 

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Additionally, Nakase became the first woman to sit on an NBA bench as an assistant coach during the Los Angeles Clippers’ Summer League campaign. She spent a decade working with the Clippers organization, advancing from an intern to a G League assistant and eventually becoming an assistant coach to Tyronn Lue. 

Nakase also served as an assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces beginning in 2022 and was the head coach of the top German professional league and an assistant coach of Japan’s men’s league. Nakase played college basketball for four years at UCLA before becoming the first Asian American woman to play in the National Women’s Basketball League. 

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The Valkyries are set to become the WNBA’s 13th franchise when they make their debut next season. The team was officially announced in October of last year, with the franchise being backed by Golden State Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber. Notably, the Valkyries set a record by securing 15,000 season ticket deposits, the highest ever for a women’s professional sports team.