Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase is expected to be on the sideline for the start of the WNBA semifinals after a concerning moment during the team's dramatic first-round series clincher.

The scare occurred during Game 3 against the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Chase Center. With the Valkyries completing a 16-point comeback en route to a 77-73 victory, Nakase briefly collapsed while speaking with an official with under two minutes remaining. 

She got back to her feet quickly, continued coaching, and helped draw up the late-game actions that sealed Golden State's first playoff series win in franchise history.  Assistant coach Kasib Powell stepped in and immediately addressed the situation to reassure fans and media.

“It’s a quick turnaround. We play again on Sunday. She wouldn’t miss it for anything, you know. So, I just wanted to kind of start with that just to say, you know, that she’s fine,” Kasib said after the game, as published by HITC

Nakase felt unwell after the final buzzer and didn't attend the postgame press conference. When asked for more detail about what happened on the sideline, Powell stayed measured but hopeful. 

"We just know that we seen her afterwards and she was fine, laughing, in great spirits. So, you know, I think we'll figure out more as we go, but I think she's totally fine. So, we look forward to preparing and getting ready for Sunday."

The update brought real relief after an alarming sequence for anyone watching, in the arena or on TV. Meanwhile, the win advanced the Valkyries into a semifinal matchup against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, with Golden State set to host Game 1 and hold home-court advantage in the best-of-five series. 

Nakase's career with the Valkyries

Natalie Nakase was named the first head coach of the Golden State Valkyries in October 2024, as published by AP. She became the first Asian American head coach in WNBA history.

The expansion franchise, owned by the same group that runs the Golden State Warriors, hired her after three seasons as an assistant with the Las Vegas Aces, where she helped win back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. 

Her background also includes roughly a decade with the Los Angeles Clippers organization, rising from video intern to assistant coach and player development roles with both the NBA team and its G League affiliate. Earlier in her career, she coached in Germany and became the first woman to serve as a head coach in Japan's top professional men's league.

In her first season with the Valkyries in 2025, Nakase led the expansion team to a playoff appearance and was named WNBA Coach of the Year, the first coach of an expansion franchise to win the award in its debut season, while Golden State sold out every home game and built a strong defensive identity.

Currently, Nakase guided the Valkyries to their first playoff series win, a comeback victory over Dallas that advanced the team to face her former team, the Aces, in the semifinals.

Do you think Nakase's health scare will affect how she approaches coaching intensity during this semifinal series? 

Written by

Zaid Quraishi