Valkyries Coach Natalie Nakase Makes Request to WNBA Officials
The Golden State Valkyries are fighting for a spot in the playoffs in the last month of the WNBA regular season, but after two-straight losses to the surging Las Vegas Aces, the expansion franchise is barely holding on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the league.
After a disappointing 101-77 blowout defeat in Las Vegas, the rematch Wednesday night was a much more competitive affair. Despite a fierce comeback effort however, Golden State lost 78-72 in front of a ferocious Ballhalla crowd at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase has plenty of experience with Aces superstar A’ja Wilson–she was an assistant coach with Las Vegas during their championship runs in 2022 and 2023. However, the Valkyries could not stop the reigning MVP, who led all scorers with 27 points, along with seven rebounds in 32 minutes of action.
While few franchises can slow down the 6’4” center, the game was physical on all sides of the court. The Valkyries started the fourth quarter down 10 points, but a 9-2 run cut the lead to three. In a choppy, foul-laden contest, the Valks were unable to close the gap fully, and have now lost six of their last ten games.
Valkyries Coach Natalie Nakase Takes Issue With Officiating
Nakase called out the officiating after the loss, making a clear request for more consistency.
“The game ended up coming down to six points, and, you know, in terms of free throws, it also matters when they're getting called," she told reporters postgame Wednesday.
She added, “If the Aces are shooting 16% in the fourth quarter, and then they're getting five more free throws. That's very convenient. So I'm just saying, we gotta be consistent..the consistency of the calls are not the same.”
Nakase has called out the referees on multiple occasions, as questions about the physicality of the league have started conversations around the WNBA media sphere.
Four Valkyries scored in double figures on Wednesday night, continuing the season’s theme of all-around scoring from multiple outlets. The Valkyries host the surging Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday for the fifth time this season. L.A. has won seven of its last eight games, hounding Golden State for the eighth playoff spot at 13-15. The 14-15 Valkyries will hope to get back on track for the matchup on Saturday.
Perhaps the team will get a better whistle after what Nakase had to say on Wednesday.
Anwar Stetson is a Multimedia Sports Journalist from Los Angeles, California. He previously worked as a TV News Reporter for KRCR News Channel 7 in Chico, California--covering politics, local news, wildfires, crime, and high school football. As an Assistant Editor for Spectrum Sportsnet: Los Angeles, Anwar worked on award-winning programs Backstage:Lakers and Backstage:Dodgers, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the two franchises' most prominent athletes. Anwar is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he received his Master's Degree in Specialized Journalism (Sports Emphasis) in 2019. He graduated from the University of California, Merced with a B.A. in English in 2016. In addition to Sports Illustrated, Anwar covers high school sports for Prep Network, and the WNBA for The Sporting Tribune.