Upcoming WNBA expansion hits Aces with tough blow, and another is coming

The Las Vegas Aces suffered two tough blows in the past few days. Their 2024 season ended on Sunday in a 76-62 loss to the Liberty, and on Thursday, the Golden State Valkyries announced Natalie Nakase as their first head coach. Nakase spent the past three seasons in Vegas on Becky Hammon's staff.

Nakase is a Los Angeles native, so she's returning to her home state. She was a walk-on at UCLA, where she served as captain for three seasons. Nakase played in the NWBL for the San Jose Spiders and San Diego Siege.

After retiring from basketball, she coached overseas before returning to California to join the Clippers. Nakase climbed up the ladder to become an assistant coach under Doc Rivers, the role she held before she left for the Aces. She leaves Vegas with two championships and hopes to eventually win her first as head coach with the Valkyries.

Nakase is an excellent hire for Golden State. In less than two months, the WNBA will hold the expansion draft for the Valkyries on Dec. 6. Each team can protect six of their players. If it's not bad enough that the Aces lost Nakase's leadership, they could lose one of their young players to Golden State in the draft.

Valkyries hire Aces assistant Natalie Nakase as franchise's first head coach

The Aces' X (Twitter) account congratulated Nakase for being named Golden State's head coach. Hammon said that Nakase played "a huge role" in Las Vegas' success over the past three seasons.

When you have a leader like Nakase on your staff, you know she won't be around too long. As happy as the Aces are for their former assistant, seeing her go is still bittersweet. She could take some young talent with her to San Francisco.

Nakase pushed for Vegas to draft Kate Martin in the 2024 draft. Martin's numbers as a rookie don't jump off the stat sheet, but that's what happens when you play for one of the top teams in the league. She didn't think she would be drafted, but she learned a lot in what was a memorable season for the 24-year-old.

Martin has been floated around as someone the Valkyries could take in the expansion draft. She has an established relationship with Nakase. However, Vegas could hold onto Martin as a key piece of the team's future. Kelsey Plum, Alysha Clark, Tiffany Hayes, Sydney Colson, and Queen Egbo will be free agents.

Watching Las Vegas' offseason unfold will be intriguing, as will Golden State's as the franchise prepares for its inaugural season in 2025.