Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase named WNBA coach of the year

The Golden State Valkyries’ inaugural season is being rewarded with some impressive hardware.

After guard Veronica Burton was named the WNBA’s most improved player, Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase is set to walk away with the league’s Coach of the Year award, the WNBA announced Wednesday.

Also receiving votes were Karl Smesko of the Atlanta Dream, Becky Hammon of the Las Vegas Aces and Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx.

Nakase, who came into the job as a first-year head coach after working as an assistant with the Aces under Hammon, helped steer the start-up Valkyries to an impressive 23-21 record, breaking the record for victories by an expansion team.

The Valkyries finished fifth in the crowded Western Conference and managed to secure the eighth seed in the playoffs, becoming the first expansion team to do so in its inaugural season. They’re currently facing off against the Lynx in the first round of the post-season.

Despite playing without an established star, the Valkyries made their mark with solid team play, particularly on the defensive end. They held teams to 76.3 points per game and 40.5 per cent from the field, both of which were the lowest marks in the league.

They also — like their NBA counterpart, the Golden State Warriors — leaned heavily on the three-pointer, putting up 29.9 attempts per game while making 9.7, the most in the WNBA.

Nakase, 45, worked as an assistant with the Aces when they won back-to-back titles in the 2022 and 2023 season. Before her time in the WNBA, the Anaheim, Calif., native spent 10 seasons as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers.