10,000+ Valkyries fans bought season tickets before a single tip-off as the season appeared to slip away with Kayla Thornton’s injury. The franchise’s first-ever All-Star blew out her right knee during practice and was ruled out for the rest of the season. “KT is a huge part of who we are,” Head Coach Natalie Nakase said. She was their heart and soul, and producing results without her was always going to be a big test.
In came Cecilia Zandalasini with injury woes of her own, as doubt began to creep in about whether the honeymoon period of the expansion franchise was over. Instead, Nakase and Co. remained resilient and are 2-1 without their star. Zandalasini hit a game-winning jumper to give the Valkyries a 77-75 victory away at Atlanta, signaling that they will be fine going forward. That win means the Valkyries are now 12-13 in their debut season under an inexperienced WNBA coach in Nakase.
Sure enough, murmurs about Nakase snagging Coach of the Year have begun, as this WNBA insider specifically pointed out her ability to analyze the best players on opposing teams and shut them down.
Jordan Robinson said on ‘The Women’s Hoops Show’ while handing out midseason awards, “Caitlin Clark, both times she played the Valkyries: 10 points, 11 points. A’ja Wilson in that first meeting, under her season average at 17 points. Sabrina’s season low of 8 points was against the Valkyries. These are star players who are not able to go off as they typically do against this really good defense and the schemes that Natalie Nakase has been drawing up.”
Defense has been the building block Nakase is using to construct the Valkyries. They held Caitlin Clark to 3-of-14 shooting, which included zero for seven on 3-pointers. The Fever star had two points at halftime, guarded tightly by Tiffany Hayes, with Kayla Thornton and Veronica Burton also taking turns defending her. Nakase later explained that they were “being disruptive” and “made sure that she wasn’t getting into a rhythm and made sure she was seeing multiple bodies.”
Wilson and Nakase are familiar with each other, as the coach was an assistant at the Aces the past three seasons. That made things easier for Nakase, as she used a similar plan to that for Clark, ensuring “to show her multiple bodies” as much as possible. While Wilson dismantled their game plan in one of the games with a 34-point, 16-rebound double-double masterclass, the fact is that you can’t stop the best player in the league when she is in that kind of mood.
Zooming out, the Valkyries have consistently delivered rock-solid defense all season long, and the soaring expectations surrounding them are a clear testament to that dominance.
Robinson concluded, “So to me, even though Cheryl Reeve has the best record, and she’s had so many Coach of the Year awards, this would be huge for the Valkyries—Natalie Nakase’s confidence, being a first-year head coach and winning Coach of the Year.”
While the Minnesota Lynx have been indestructible for most of the season, the Golden State Valkyries lack the big names. The Valkyries are a better-coached team, tactically sound, with no standout stars. They are fighting as a team with solid structure and precision. As Nakase said before the season, “We are definitely process driven. The non-negotiable for us right now is being very, very competitive.”
On their day, the Valkyries can beat any team in the league and are looking forward to a deep playoff run if they sustain this level. The $50 million expansion fee from the Warriors seems to be paying off, and the sensible decision to go for a unique approach is proving to be the right one.
How Nakase’s grit is forging the Valkyries into a WNBA contender
Fans long wanted the league to go beyond its handful of teams. The last time a new team joined the league was in 2008, when the Atlanta Dream played its inaugural season and finished with a 4-30 record. As a result, expectations were not high for the Valkyries going into the season, but Nakase has proved the doubters wrong.
The Valkyries hiring her was a shock because her coaching philosophy seems to be against the DNA of her employer. Golden State is synonymous with glitz. It’s a global brand built on flamboyant showmanship and star-fueled spectacle. The Warriors’ dynasty, anchored by one of basketball’s most electrifying icons, sparked the very boom that enabled the Valkyries to exist. Yet the Valkyries have charted a radically different, substance-over-style path with Nakase at the helm.
Jun 19, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase (left) argues with referee Amy Bonner (center right) during the third quarter against the Indiana Fever at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
That is turning out to be a good decision, as they are among the best defensive teams in the league. In terms of defensive rating, they are fifth in the league at 99.9. The team crashes the boards on defense at an astonishing rate of 72.2%, which is the third-best in the league. They command the paint, conceding just 28.8 points on average, which is the best in the league.
Nakase has succeeded in forming this team’s identity as an irritating, defense-heavy squad that maintains intensity throughout games. She has achieved one of their primary preseason goals while also delivering results.
“I think it’s a good thing just because I like to work really hard,” Nakase said before the season. “I’m pretty boring. I don’t mind working every single day. So I think it kind of fits the script of building a team, right? So I’m not afraid of it. I actually embrace the hard work. I embrace the building of a new culture, a new franchise, a new community.”
This philosophy has helped them focus on how they do things rather than the pressure of their debut season. Fans have shown up in numbers as their average attendance sits at the top with 18,064 filling the Chase Center. Their hard work has been visible on the court, and they have stayed united through every difficulty, whether injuries, the tight schedule, or the questionable officiating.
The Valkyries are still far from perfect, as their offensive struggles persist, and Nakase will have to figure that out as the season moves forward. So far, the coach has made a positive impression on fans, analysts, and players, making her the favorite for Coach of the Year.
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