By Jack Maloney

Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase has been named the 2025 WNBA Coach of the Year, the league announced Wednesday. Nakase helped the Valkyries (23-21, No. 8 seed) become the first expansion team to make the playoffs in their inaugural season.

The Valkyries are down 1-0 in their first-round series against the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx but will return home for Game 2 on Wednesday.

Nakase received 53 of a possible 72 votes. Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko finished in second place with 15 votes, while the Las Vegas Aces’ Becky Hammon and the Lynx’s Cheryl Reeve each received two votes.

“Natalie has been a fierce leader from the very moment she was announced as head coach, and this award is an external validation of what we see every day,” Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said. “Her core philosophy of connectivity and emphasis on high character has created an environment where everyone can thrive. Her unique approach to leadership and ability to hold players accountable with care while staying true to her values has been remarkable. Coach Natalie and her coaching staff have been an integral piece of creating this team’s foundation in its inaugural year.”

Nakase began her coaching career overseas nearly two decades ago, and spent time as an assistant with both the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA and the Las Vegas Aces before the Valkyries hired her as the first coach in franchise history.

Expectations for the Valkyries were fairly low, at least externally, given the team’s lack of star power and the history of expansion teams struggling out of the gates. Entering the season, the only player on the Valkyries roster with an All-Star appearance was 35-year-old Tiffany Hayes, and that was back in 2017.

To read the entire article: https://www.cbssports.com/wnba/news/valkyries-natalie-nakase-named-wnba-coach-of-the-year-amid-expansion-clubs-historic-season/

Photo credit: Natalienakase/Instagram