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Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase stand firm on officiating stance after getting fined
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- Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase stand firm on officiating stance after getting fined
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SAN JOSE– After Natalie Nakase blasted the officiating in Game 1 of the Golden State Valkyries ' first-round WNBA playoffs series against the Minnesota Lynx , Natalie Nakase stood by her words at the team's open practice at the SAP Center in San Jose.
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When a reporter asked Nakase if she felt the Game 1 loss was due to a lack of execution or a lack of opportunity, Golden State's coach reaffirmed her stance, while also revealing her comments had consequences .
"You guys know what I said. I said what I said. I'm always gonna fight for my team when I feel like the calls were the calls," Nakase said honestly. "I got fined. So throw it in that donation or whatever it is, you know? So yeah, I paid for it."
After the Valkyries' blowout 101-72 loss, Nakase questioned the way the officials managed the second quarter of the game. Golden State led Minnesota 28-21 after the first quarter, thanks to some hot shooting and good ball movement. But the Valkyries quickly lost all of their momentum when the game slowed down due to the Lynx finding their way to the free-throw line, which Nakase took extreme issue with.
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"I thought we were in a great flow, you know? We were shooting really well," Nakase said in the wake of the Game 1 loss . "And then all of a sudden, the fouls. Called consecutively. It wasn't that the fouls [were] balanced, it's that the fouls are being called when we're on a run, and it shifts the momentum."
The WNBA does not disclose how much it fines its players or coaches. Nakase did not disclose how much she was fined, nor how many times she has been fined, but the money she lost will go to charitable causes.
Moving on from Game 1
Nakase's issues with the officiating lay not in the actual number of fouls called but rather the timing and the rapid succession of calls that occurred for Golden State in the second quarter. Nakase described the foul calls as "momentum killers," citing the 11-to-1 free-throw difference in favor of Minnesota that quarter.
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But Nakase has criticized the officiating in previous losses; Game 1 wasn't the first time she went off on the referees. After a loss to the Atlanta Dream on the road, Nakase torched the officials, describing the officiating in that game as "home cooking" in favor of the home team.
But while Nakase is still standing firm on her view of Game 1, she's more than ready to move on. With Golden State facing elimination, it's "win-or-die time" for the Valkyries, as Nakase said at practice . To extend their season, Nakase and the Valkyries will have to solve a wicked Minnesota team that's not slowing down any time soon. All while playing in 47 miles south of Chase Center, their usual home arena, at the SAP Center in San Jose.
"I'm always going to fight for my players, but I'm always owning up to being present," Nakase said Tuesday. "I've moved on. We've already talked about a new game plan offensively and defensively, and that's where I've got to make sure my girls are at."
Golden State will look to save its storybook season tomorrow at 7 PM PST in front of an excited Bay Area fanbase.
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