Moments after her Valkyries suffered a 19-point road loss, Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase strolled into her postgame press conference flashing her trademark smile.
Though the Las Vegas Aces' defense suffocated the Valkyries in a 92-73 win, Nakase found a way to exemplify the positives.
"As much as it is to take away from a loss ... I'm seeing little improvements in terms of what we can adjust on the fly, and if they can execute it, so it was really nice that they did that," Nakase said. "We're taking a lot from this."
Not once did Nakase bemoan her players' efforts. Instead, she found areas to praise them.
"I think that's kind of our organization," said veteran Kiah Stokes, who won two championships in Las Vegas when Nakase was there.
It's how Nakase has been able to build trust, accountability, and relationships in a year and a half with the 2025 expansion squad, helping transform the Valkyries into a Western Conference powerhouse.
Nakase, 46, has always brought work ethic and grit to the sidelines, from her time as an assistant in Las Vegas to her first two seasons with the Valkyries. Her meticulous preparation is what players have come to appreciate, not to mention her no-nonsense approach when communicating with them.
She doesn't just talk the talk, either. She'll get on the court and back up what she says when it's time to show them what she wants.
"She's got a really good feel with players," Becky Hammon said. "I think she's very relatable in a way. She played at a very high level herself, has a lot of time in film rooms and front offices. She's kind of done it all.
"You make those investments. I saw her make investments with our players here."
Communication is Key
Nakase said her patience has been tested during this first year and a half, as her competitive nature wants a championship in the Bay Area, now.
To counter her impatience, she's found that having an open dialogue with her players allows them to question her on why certain situations aren't working.
"That, to me, holds me accountable to be a better coach," Nakase said. "I'm not perfect by any means, but I want to be the best for them in this group."
It's the care factor for the players and throughout the organization—"a lot of love, care and time"—that has brought everyone closer.
It's the time spent away from the court, whether it's team dinners, one-on-one conversations, coffee dates, or film sessions. Nakase said she and her coaches take a lot of their own time and pour into everyone to fulfill their needs.
"I'm still learning, and I told them I appreciate their patience with me and their trust in just coming at me with really hard questions," she said. "I never thought I could gain this much trust this quickly."
Stokes said she isn't surprised.
"We have a lot of individual meetings, but it's more like conversations," Stokes said. "She just wants to know, 'What can I do to put you in a position where you can be successful?' She wants to (put players) in the position where (they) feel comfortable, so that (they) are playing to their strengths, they feel comfortable, and they're not trying to overthink too many things."
Gabby Williams and Kaitlyn Chen had the Bay bumpin' tonight 🔥
In the home win, Gabby and Kaitlyn combined for 40 PTS to get the dub for the @valkyries!
Williams: 25 PTS | 4 AST | 3 REB | 2 3PM
Chen: 15 PTS | 2 REB | 2 AST#WNBASeason30 | 2026 WNBA Commissioner's Cup |… pic.twitter.com/TZJU7X55ox— WNBA (@WNBA) June 18, 2026
Everyone Has to Sacrifice
As for her patience, or lack thereof, she's able to relate her first year with Hammon in Las Vegas, when both they and former assistant Tyler Marsh, now coach of the Chicago Sky, were building a powerhouse in the desert.
"We barely even knew each other in training camp," she said. "So, I would say, from the jump, we had no idea if we were even going to be a contender. We obviously knew how talented we were, but when we're going now into the playoffs, we're like, 'Oh, s---, we could possibly win this thing.
"And so, what I've learned through Becky, through Tyler, is just that tightness of the group, and the roles and the clarity that Becky set from the jump with those talented players ... you have to give something up. You've got to sacrifice."
Thus, in her second year at Golden State, she's made it clear what everyone's role is and what she wants from each player. It doesn't matter whether they like it or not; it's what's best for the team, especially if everyone is trying to win a championship.
"Everyone's gonna have to sacrifice," she said.
Chelsea Gray Praises Nakase
To this day, Aces point guard Chelsea Gray is still appreciative of Nakase's coaching style and what she brings to the game, especially when it comes to her detail-oriented preparation.
"I knew that philosophy would carry on and (she would) be able to share it," Gray said.
And with everyone buying in, it's why Nakase can come into postgame press conferences with a smile on her face, as long as everyone did their job, played their role, and maximized their efforts.
"I need to get the best out of my players that I have, which is probably a little bit more confidence, pushing them to take on roles that they've never had, in terms of taking over games, closing games, being a starter consistently, maximizing your effort, emptying the tank," Nakase added. "That's a great challenge for me. I thrive on challenges. I thrive on people saying I can't do something, and I'm a huge solution-based person.
"What I've learned is any journey that you take, any experience, you're always going to learn from every single person in that organization, and I'll never take that for granted."
Golden State will next host the Atlanta Dream in back-to-back games on June 24 and June 26.
