Natalie Nakase won over Golden State Valkyries owner Joe Lacob with her fire in a matter of two hours when they sat down last year for a formal interview.

Now, the entire WNBA understands why.

Nakase was named WNBA Coach of the Year on Wednesday after leading her team to the playoffs — making league history as the only first-year franchise to reach the postseason .

Head coach Natalie Nakase of the Golden State Valkyries coaches during a WNBA Commissioner's Cup game on June 14, 2025 at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The announcement came ahead of Golden State's home game against the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. Nakase was set to be honored at SAP Center, where the team is playing Game 2 of the best-of-three series because Chase Ce

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