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Valkyries HC Natalie Nakase’s emotional reflection on her father before Wings game
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- Valkyries HC Natalie Nakase’s emotional reflection on her father before Wings game
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SAN FRANCISCO – It's been quite the season for first-year head coach Natalie Nakase and the Golden State Valkyries . They've won the most games ever for a WNBA expansion franchise. They've surpassed every preseason expectation. And with Nakase and her team on the precipice of the playoffs, she took the time to reflect on herself season– specifically her father, Gary Nakase, who passed away in 2021.
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In her pre-game press conference, Nakase talked about how she's thought about her father throughout the Valkyries' historic season .
"What have I learned about myself this season?" Nakase asked herself a couple of times when presented with the question.
"That I do need to care about my mental health as well. There have always been moments when I've wanted to call my dad. I am a little bit proud I've been able to survive… normally I tear up, I do cry, and I miss my dad, but there are moments where I've been able to hang in there and talk to my dad out loud. Or usually I break down."
Basketball was a special thing for Nakase and her father. Growing up, Gary was the one who trained Natalie to be one of the best high school players in Orange County before she eventually went to UCLA as a walk-on freshman. Gary built a court in their family backyard, installing lights so the girls could play after dark as well as a weight room.
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Basketball was what bonded father and daughter; so, grieving his death is still something Nakase is trying to process.
"I'm starting to really build a thicker skin as I'm going through this healing process. Because I know I wish my dad was here," she said. "Especially with my first job being a head coach, and this was part of my dream, with him. And a goal. I'm starting to learn, I'm getting more resilient, and a tougher skin. But I'm very lucky to have a great environment that's supporting me throughout this healing process."
The lessons Nakase's father instilled in her
In the same press conference, Nakase was asked a follow-up question about what her father would say to her if he were to watch her coach the Valkyries as they are on the precipice of the playoffs.
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"'You better f****ing win,'" Nakase said bluntly. "That's exactly what he would say."
"The way my dad raised me, I didn't have a lot of choices, not as much as I thought I did. He raised me in a very tough environment. To where he made work extremely important. Hard work– that was the priority. That's what I know, that's what he built me on."
That hard work Nakase's father instilled is evident in how she coaches. Assistant coach Kasib Powell emphasized Nakase's "basketball 24/7" approach to the game as a big part of how she leads, and her father's lessons have clearly trickled down into the Valkyries' gritty, strength-in-numbers style of basketball. Earlier this season, Nakase praised her players for their commitment to winning and the choices they've made off the court to do so.
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So while Nakase's father isn't here to watch her lead the Valkyries to a potential playoff birth, she's grateful for the way he raised her.
"And I also learned that when you work really, really hard, good things happen. You get to control that too. I'm super glad I had a very strict dad. I mean, my dad could have been like, 'You don't have to practice today.' Nope. That was not an option. I had very limited choices but I'm very grateful that way he built me the way I am."
Related: Valkyries make history, clinch WNBA playoff spot in inaugural season
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