When Valkyries owner Joe Lacob assembled the Valkyries, he had only one goal in mind: the WNBA title. That resonated with head coach Natalie Nakase. Now, leading in the semis, the franchise is closer than ever to the title. 

Just 20 minutes into the interview process, Lacob made his expectations clear to Nakase. A title within five years - that’s the goal. Nakase recalled her reaction to Lacob's mandate.

"He said, 'Whoever I hire has to win in 5 years.' I remember slamming my hand on the table," Nakase said. "Sign me up. I said, That's the challenge. That's the expectations. That's the opportunity that I want."

Nakase proved her mettle immediately, steering the expansion Valkyries to the playoffs in year one as the 8th seed. However, their run ended in the first round against the Lynx.

This time around, the Valkyries have addressed last year's weakness. After qualifying for the playoffs as the No. 2 seed, they now lead 1- 0 against the Aces. 

Nakase pointed out the differences between this season and the last one.

“But the fact that we weren't healthy, that would really p***** us off in so many ways,” she added, as shown on 95.7 The Game's X post. “And look, now we're healthy, so that's a step in the right direction.”

Following a dominant 32–12 regular season, the Valkyries secured their first-ever playoff series victory by defeating the Dallas Wings 2–1 in the first round.

Lacob can’t help but get emotional about his WNBA team. 

Lacob's emotional investment mirrors Nakase's winning mentality

For 16 years, Lacob has given his all to the Golden State Warriors. And now, despite not wanting to do so, he is doing the same for the Valkyries. 

"I try hard with the Valkyries to not be as emotional as I am with the Warriors," Lacob said, per San Francisco Chronicle's Ron Kroichick. "But it's getting tougher because I really love this team so much. We're getting pretty close to, in some ways, being arguably even favored to go to the Finals.”

A 71-60 Game 1 win over the Aces has given the Valkyries the upper hand in the series. Lacob, used to winning with both the Warriors and the Valkyries, embraces the challenge.

His high standards, coupled with head coach Nakase’s winning mentality, have brought out the best in a team that didn't even begin competing until May 2025.

Written by

Avishek Sarkar