As the first expansion team of WNBA in 17 years, Golden State Valcaries On May 16, he left his own mark in history books in his first game.

Then Natalie Nakez officially became the first Asian-American to coach a game in WNBA.

There is no more than 5 -Foot -1 prototype basketball player or coach. He started his career as a walk-on guard in the UCLA, eventually started his junior year and became the captain of the team.

She played professionally in the National Women’s Basketball League. But when the league stopped and failed to create a roster in the WNBA, she went abroad to continue her game career. He pivying for coaching after a knee injury at the end of his career, and spent time in Germany and Japan, before La clippersHe spent a decade in NBA and was eventually named an assistant coach for clippers.

In 2022, Nakase was hired as an assistant coach in WNBA under Becky Hamon, and he led it Las vegas ekka First back-to-back WNBA Championship in 21 years.

Nakez, who named Vulcaries Coach in October, started 2–2, his team saw its team First win At home on 21 May. Naksey was recently sitting with ESPN to talk about a head coaching job journey and her father and other bosses have had the impact in her life.

(Note: This interview is edited for clarity.)

What are your expectations for this season?

Nakase: We are a brand-new team, it is going to take time and so I am actually allowing my girls to process the day-to-day season. I am trying to get them to get mentality, let’s get 1% better every day, just control what we can control.

And I think a lot takes a lot – I hate the word pressure – but some high expectations from their shoulders. I just want to play them happily.

We have seen some clips of the players dancing and jumping around the pregem. Is that happiness you are talking about?

Nakase: We have a lot of foreign players; Of course they are worried and nervous. So on the first day of the camp I told my employees, “We are going to dance. We are just going to shake things, fool yourself and get them to laugh.”

At first the employees did not want to, but I told them that we have to shake things and players to get out of their comfort field. So I sent a clip of this dance to the assistant coaches and I asked them to get ready to go.

The next morning I asked if they are ready and they are preferring, “Coach, we are practicing all night!”

And we only gave a little dance to the players.

I need to know what it was dance.

Nakase: I can’t tell you this. come on! He is between us and the players. But they laughed. All this I wanted to make them laugh and smile and understand that when you walk to the Sephera Performance Center, this is your safe area. You can make as many mistakes as you want. You can fail as much as you want. We are a new team. So understand, we want mistakes and we can correct them on day to day basis.

You have said that your father, Gary Naksey has greatly impressed your career. After winning your first WNBA championship, you posted on Instagram about going to his grave site. Did you meet him after getting this job?

Nakase: Oh, that I got it quickly. (Break) I did not have time, which is really unfortunate. His birthday was 20 October. (Valcaries hired Nakez on 10 October.) I was trying to reach there, but I had to step into San Francisco, infection and dive into this job.

The anniversary of his death is coming soon. But I have been built for this and he must have said that, too. My father says, so he said, “Nut, you don’t have to go to you — ING does not need to meet me. I do not need any F — Flowers.” He hates flowers. He will say, “Just do your work. Pay attention to your goal.”

He always wanted to stay behind the curtain, but pushed me in ways where he knew that I could stand on my own.

What do some of your bosses have advised you about the job?

Nakase: (Indiana Hosiers Men’s Basketball Coach and Former Clippers Assistant) Armond Hill It has been a great teacher for me. He was with me with the first week of the training camp and I had a bad practice. I could tell. Well, I could tell because he told me properly. He told me everything I did wrong and it was right at the point.

So that night I stayed till 3 in the morning and worked on what I needed to do. This is difficult love. This is like the same mindset from my father. (Hill) knows where I am weak and he is going to push me and call me out for those weaknesses.

I really hit (Boston Celtics Coach) who is well in the form of Mazula, and his line is: “Don’t be afraid to die.”

This is a little more dark, but it is the same idea: take big risks. This is your first year. Go ahead, go out, but understand that when you take big risks, you are just ready to fall and learn from it. You can get success and you can fail at the same time, and it is the beauty of the beauty that we get to do every day.

First of life. Congratulations, coach Natalie on your first @WNBA Head Coaching Win ✨🪽@Sephera First pic.twitter.com/tsedjwliha

– Golden State Valkyries (@Valkyries) May 22, 2025

You won two championships with aces under coach Becky Hamone. What did you learn about the winning mentality that you can bring here?

Nakase: That victory is difficult. It takes a lot to win. I know that people like to say that winning takes great luck, but I think you prepare your luck. So I would say for those two years that we won, I have never worked as hard in my life. Becky actually inspired me to do so, but he challenged me too and constantly asked me, “Nut, challenge me. Here’s game plan, separate it.” No coach has ever said so. Most of the head coaches are, this is my game plan, deal with it. But she wanted me to separate it.

At the end of the day, she does not sleep, either. She lasts till 2 or 3 in the morning. We are constantly thinking about basketball, constantly wondering how we can get better. We want to be number 1. What does it look like?

I will always be grateful to him because he was the two years the most difficult. But honestly, this was the best basketball experience of my life.

You worked with Chris Paul And A’aza WilsonWhat does it do for you as a coach to work with that caliber players?

Nakase: High-caliber players, they make me better. When I met Chris Paul, he told me that he watches every NBA game. So I told myself, “I have to see every game too.”

Whatever I learned from this is that I was given a route to talk to him. I will recite her, “Hey, this game right now, it’s a two-point game. What are you doing in this situation?”

I knew that he was watching, so he would react to me, “This is what I see. This is what I do.” I had to learn from one of the best point guards in the world at that time.

A’Ja Wilson is probably the most humble star that I have ever lived around. She always wanted to influence the next generation. I asked why this is so important for her and she said that it is because many powerful black women are not athletes. And when I saw him and the way he talked about it, he does not care if he is the number 1 player in the world, he does not care that he gets all these praise and attention. She cares about how she is going to leave her footprint in this world. That’s what I love A’Ja.

Growing up, there was no one who you or me were playing this game. What does it mean to you that young children now have to see you?

Nakase: It means the world to me. I never really gave a voice, but it means the world. And I thought during the first Presiden game. You think about it, but when it really comes to flourish and you are looking around and you look at 17,000 fans that affect you in two hours, it is very distinguished in a way. But I have learned why I am not really the first. I got to make sure that I am not the last.