Valkyries Coach Reacts to WNBA’s Announcement on Thursday
Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase was honored Thursday with the WNBA Coach of the Month Award in the month of June, her first award as the inaugural head coach of the expansion team.
The award comes in the wake of a hot June for the Valkyries, who finished the month with a 7-4 record, tied for second-best in the league, finishing the month with back-to-back victories against the Seattle Storm and Chicago Sky.
In that span, the Valkyries finished top three among all WNBA teams in points scored, with 903, while leading all teams in rebounds with 423.
The news was broken to Nakase in the locker room surrounded by her players and staff.
Rather than laud her personal accomplishments, Nakase was quick to celebrate the efforts of her team in a video of her hearing the news posted by the Valkyries on X.
“It’s our staff… it’s the players,” Nakase said. “This is not about me. This is all about you guys [the players].”
Surprising Coach Natalie with her @WNBA June Coach of the Month award is the ideal way to start a Thursday morning 💜@JWinery | Celebrating Milestones pic.twitter.com/8c0m5RZWMV
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) July 3, 2025
She continued to celebrate her players in the video, adding, “Credit to your hard work. Credit to you guys for being coachable and allowing us… to coach you guys hard,” Nakase said.
The honor is Nakase’s first as a head coach, adding another award to her coaching career that includes two WNBA titles as a member of the Las Vegas Aces’ coaching staff from 2022-24.
The award is the first of its kind in the history of the Valkyries, with Golden State joining the WNBA as an expansion team in the 2025 season.
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.