Valkyries' Natalie Nakase named WNBA Coach of the Year in stunning debut season

Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase capped off a remarkable debut season on Wednesday by being named the WNBA Coach of the Year. Nakase earned 53 of 72 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters after leading the expansion franchise to a 23-21 record in its inaugural season.


Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko finished second in the voting with 15 votes, while Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon and Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve received two votes apiece.



Under Nakase’s leadership, Golden State became the first WNBA expansion team to ever qualify for the playoffs. Nakase, 45, was hired in October 2024 following three seasons as an assistant with the Las Vegas Aces. A former UCLA point guard, she previously spent a decade with the Los Angeles Clippers, finishing her tenure there as an assistant coach.

"I never aimed for this type of award, and my dad taught me that early on, that it's all about winning," Nakase said. "And that's why I took this job, because Joe was like, 'If you take this job we've got to win a championship in five years.' That's the goal, so I just wanted to start with that. But what this does, is it reflects on (our) whole organization. It starts at the top."


Nakase’s Valkyries squad excelled defensively, ranking first in the WNBA in scoring defense (76.3 points per game) and opponent field-goal percentage (.405). Offensively, they also stood out, leading the league with 9.7 made 3-pointers per contest.