The Golden State Valkyries pulled off a close 68-67 win over the Mystics Thursday, a necessary move that will help keep the team in playoff contention — and that pushes coach Natalie Nakase one step closer toward being named Coach of the Year.
It's a distinction is one Nakase has courted all season. Nakase has determinedly led her expansion team to a season that just about no one expect them to have. The Valkyires currently sit at 8th in the league with a 13-13 records, putting them ahead of the Mystics, Sparks, Wings, Sky, and Sun.
Nakase was named WNBA Coach of the Month in June after the team went 7-4 (including three wings of at least 24 points or more) and swiftly emerged as a Coach of the Year frontrunner — an honor she's earning throughout the team's wins and losses as the most important person who has never failed to emphasize just how much she belives in her team.
In addition to building a team and fan culture that should probably be studied, Nakase has also figured out how to tap into her players and bring forth the style of play she wants to see: physical, fast, and disruptive — a call that the team has been only too happy to heed.
The Valkyries have to lock in right now
If the 2025 season ended today, the Valkyries could walk away secure in the knowledge that they gave it everything they had — and even sprinkled in a little more. Golden State has set the bar for WNBA expansion teams, something Nakase said has contributed to the fact that her players are coachable.
But if the Valkyries want to truly cement the team's inaugural season as historic, the moment for the team to collectively lock in is now. The regular season will end on September 11, which gives everyone in the league a handful of weeks to commit to playing the best basketball they can ahead of the playoffs. And while many imagine the championship game will offer a Liberty-Lynx rematch this year, if one thing is clear this season is that you can't count the Valkyries out of anything.
And though she would be the first person to credit her players for being the driving force behind that reality, Nakase is also a key reason the team has enjoyed the specific type of success that has dominated their 2025 season. If they continue to perform at this standard, Nakase's claim to the all-important Coach of the Year title will become nearly undeniable.