As the WNBA’s first expansion team in 17 years, the Golden State Valkyries made their own mark in the history books in their very first game on May 16.
That’s when Natalie Nakase officially became the first Asian-American to coach a game in the WNBA.
At just over 5-foot-1 Nakase is not the prototypical basketball player or coach. She began her career as a walk-on guard at UCLA, eventually earning the starting job her junior year and becoming team captain.
She played professionally in the National Women’s Basketball League. But when the league shut down and Nakase failed to make a roster in the WNBA, she went overseas to continue her playing career. She pivoted to coaching after a career-ending knee injury, and spent time in Germany and Japan before she returned to the United States to become a video intern for the LA Clippers. She spent a decade in the NBA and ultimately was named an assistant coach for the Clippers.
In 2022, Nakase was hired as an assistant coach in the WNBA under Becky Hammon, and they led the Las Vegas Aces to the first back-to-back WNBA championships in 21…
