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09/17 20:40 CDT Golden State Valkyries' Natalie Nakase voted WNBA Coach of the
Year after reaching playoffs
Golden State Valkyries' Natalie Nakase voted WNBA Coach of the Year after
reaching playoffs
By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) --- Natalie Nakase won over Golden State Valkyries owner
Joe Lacob with her fire in a matter of two hours when they sat down last year
for a formal interview.
Now, the entire WNBA understands why.
Nakase was voted WNBA Coach of the Year on Wednesday after leading her team to
the playoffs, making league history as the only first-year franchise to reach
the postseason.
The announcement came ahead of Golden State's home game against the top-seeded
Minnesota Lynx. Nakase was recognized by Commissioner Cathy Engelbert at SAP
Center, where the team hosted Game 2 of the best-of-three series because
18,064-seat capacity Chase Center in San Francisco was previously booked by the
Laver Cup tennis event.
"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."
The 45-year-old Nakase received 53 of 72 votes from sports writers and
broadcasters around the country. She also received AP Coach of the Year this
week.
Golden State's 23 wins were a record for an expansion franchise, and the
Valkyries sold out all 22 of their games at Chase Center.
Nakase recently shared how late father Gary's influence has stayed with her
since his death in 2021, and how she has learned "that I do need to care about
my mental health as well."
"There have always been moments where I've always wanted to call my dad," she
said before her team's Sept. 4 playoff-clinching win over the Dallas Wings. "So
I am a little bit proud that I've been able to survive, because normally I tear
up, I do cry, I still miss my dad. But there's moments where I've been able to
kind of hang in there and talk to my dad out loud, where usually I break down.
So I'm starting to really build a thicker skin as I'm going through this
healing process.
"... I wish my dad was here, especially my first job and being a head coach,
and his was part of my dream with him and a goal."
Nobody else was close to Nakase for this honor. Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko
was runner-up with 15 votes, while Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon and
Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve tied for third.
Lacob, also owner of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, said he realized Nakase
was the right choice from the first time he sat down with her over brunch in
Las Vegas last year during summer league.
Lacob had three finalists at that point, but with Nakase, an assistant with the
Aces, he just knew.
"I knew right then and there, 100%," Lacob said. "I was sold, done, deal done.
I loved her personality. First of all, I knew about her a lot because we had
known of her for a long time. She was with the Clippers for 10 years, so we
knew we liked her. We were trying to bring her here many years ago in another
capacity on the Warriors side. ... She's a fireball. I love her story, I love
her style, I love her intensity. She's fantastic."
Nakase credited everyone in the organization --- "I wouldn't have gotten this
award if everyone didn't do their job to the best of their ability, and that's
why this award is so important."
From Day 1, Nakase appreciated how her players believed in her approach and
intense style as a first-year coach and stuck with the defense-first system.
"The players allow me to cuss at them, to yell at them, to push them past their
limits," she said. "Again, without them, we wouldn't have had a winning season
and we wouldn't be where I am today now in the second game of a playoff run."
___
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
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