Clippers' Ty Lue Shows Love to Natalie Nakase After Reunion at Warriors Game
A new and quickly rising member of San Francisco basketball royalty was in attendance for Tuesday night's game between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers.
Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase was in the stands to watch the game, which ended in a 98-79 win for the Warriors. Nakase has a connection to both teams: the Warriors share an ownership group and home stadium with Nakase's Valkyries, but her basketball coaching career in the United States began with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Nakase first began coaching overseas in both Germany and Japan, but in 2012, she pursued an internship with the Clippers' video coordinator, then became the team's assistant video coordinator herself. From there, she became an assistant with the Agua Caliente Clippers, Los Angeles' G-League affiliate, and eventually rose to an assistant coaching role with Los Angeles in the 2018-19 season.
This is where she worked alongside now-Clippers head coach Ty Lue when the two were assistant coaches, and just a few years later, both have risen to the top ranks of two premier basketball teams.
Lue and Nakase Reunite
Lue was asked about both his and Nakase's journeys and accomplishments after Tuesday night's game, and the Los Angeles head coach had fond words for his former coworker.
Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase is here at the Warriors-Clippers matchup tonight.
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) October 29, 2025
Tyronn Lue, who Nakase worked with on Clippers’ coaching staff, talked about her how cool it is for the two of them to be head coaches right now. pic.twitter.com/xuwnWawAQA
"It's very cool. Just the job she's done last year, to have an Expansion team, and go to the playoffs, and do what she's done, that Coach of the Year. It's a testament to her hard work and how she just worked her way up every single year to get better. So, I'm very proud of her," Lue said (via Kenzo Fukuda of Clutch Points).
Nakase's Accomplishments in the Valkyries' Debut Season
Nakase's long road to a head coaching job in the WNBA has proven to be worth it. The Valkyries had a historic season under Nakase, setting an Expansion team win record with a 23-21 regular season finish and trip to the 2025 WNBA playoffs, something else that's never been done by an Expansion team making their debut season.
Nakase has brought the best out of her players on a roster that was brought together for the first time and defied all expectations. For her efforts, Nakase was named the 2025 WNBA Coach of the Year.
What’s up, @WNBA Coach of the Year!
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) October 29, 2025
Good to see ya, @NatalieNakase 🫶 pic.twitter.com/W7fM0OoRLW
Lue knows exactly how hard Nakase works and the competitive drive that she brings out of her players. Nakase made an effort to hold her players accountable and instill a strong work ethic in them last season, which clearly bore fruit and pushed many of her players to some of their best career seasons.
Under Nakase, Kayla Thornton landed her first-ever All-Star selection and Veronica Burton won the 2025 Most Improved Player award after a triumphant personal season.
It was just Nakase's first season as head coach of the Valkyries, and there are many more goals and accomplishments to come. Something else that Nakase and Lue have in common now, in addition to their head coaching roles, is that both will be working to lead their respective franchises to championships. Now, it's a race to the finish for each head coach to see who does it first.
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Bio: Jack Haslett is a writer and photographer covering Golden State Valkyries basketball for Sports Illustrated. Jack has previously published work with the Sporting Tribune, the Long Beach Current and DIG Magazine, covering sports, community events and news. A graduate from Long Beach State University, Jack has a passion for writing, photography and all things sports.