Golden State Valkyries Make Historic Hire Ahead of Inaugural WNBA Season

The Valkyries hired Natalie Nakase as the WNBA's first ever Asian-American woman to hold a head coaching job.

Natalie Nakase will make history as the head coach of the Golden State Valkyries next season. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Golden State Valkyries are set to kick off their inaugural WNBA season in 2025, and on Thursday announced a historic coaching hire.

Natalie Nakase will be the franchise's first ever head coach, and will make history in the process as she will become the first ever Asian-American woman to hold a WNBA head coaching job.

Nakase, who has been an assistant coach on the Las Vegas Aces staff since 2022 under Becky Hammon, has also held various roles within the Los Angeles Clippers organization.

"Being named the head coach of the Golden State Valkyries is a lifelong dream come true," Nakase said in a release. "I am thankful to Joe Lacob, Ohemaa Nyanin and the Golden State front office for entrusting me with this responsibility. We are committed to building a winning culture of grit, hard work, and competitiveness. We will strive to improve, compete, and ultimately bring home a championship for our fans and this organization."

The Valkyries will begin play at the Chase Center in San Francisco beginning in the 2025 season.

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