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How Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase plans to get the most out of Veronica Burton, Kaitlin Chen
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OAKLAND – More often than not, after a Golden State Valkyries practice, you’ll find Natalie Nakase huddled up with her point guards, Veronica Burton and Kaitlyn Chen, at the far end of the practice facility .
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Usually, it’s the trio briefly sharing information and observations from a floor general perspective. Other times, it’s Nakase testing Burton and Chen in a way only a former point guard can do. But all the time, these are conversations of trust. A dialogue between the leaders of a Valkyries team that holds itself to the highest standard .
“They come right back at me,” Nakase said of Burton and Chen in those point guard group conversations, with a big smile on her face. “I think the trust there is [that] they’re screaming right back at me, very quickly. Especially on the court, me and Kaitlyn got into it a little bit– which is fine because we were both passionate about what we want to do in terms of winning.
“And so I love those conversations. I actually like it like that .”
What’s been obvious about Nakase’s tenure as the Valkyries head coach is her fire and her passion. She’s not afraid to challenge her players; Burton can tell you all the ways Nakase pushed her to be great last year. Whether it was coaxing her to be more vocal or quizzing her on opponents’ defensive schemes, Nakase coached Burton hard.
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But what’s been less obvious in Nakase’s fiery approach is the empathy she underscores it with. And the trust she’s built to be able to have those passionate conversations.
“She’s very caring, very open, and receptive,” Burton said toward the end of last season. “And also really hard on me, too. She challenges me, she pushes me. She’s kind of been that way from Day 1.”
The fact that her players feel comfortable enough to go back at her with the same kind of fire speaks volumes to the foundation of trust Nakase has established with them.
Look no further than another post-practice anecdote. After Chen wrapped up her own media scrum, she galloped right up to Nakase, who was on her way over to the reporters, and pointed two finger guns at her coach.
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“Your turn!” Chen said, shooting imaginary bullets from her finger guns at Nakase. And Nakase just stood there, in a mixture of disbelief and amusement at the fact that Chen just did that, as the second-year guard ran away laughing.
David Gonzales-Imagn Images
The bond between Kaitlyn Chen and Natalie Nakase
For Chen, those post-practice conversations are nothing but helpful for her growth.
“It’s great for me, especially as a younger player, to be able to learn from coach Nat,” Chen said. “She’s super, super smart. And then Veronica, because she has had so much experience, it’s just nice to hear her thoughts and have her walk me through [her process].”
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In a training camp as competitive as this Valkyries one, Chen will need every ounce of Burton and Nakase’s wisdom as she looks to secure one of the final spots on the roster. But based on the rapport Chen’s got with Nakase , and her 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting in the preseason win, Chen seems to have the inside track on becoming one of the final 12. Especially with how shallow the guard position is– Burton and Chen are the Valkyries’ only true point guards. At worst, Chen seems poised to secure at least one of the two developmental spots.
And it might also help that Nakase appreciates how Chen tailors her leadership to each specific teammate.
“I think Kaitlyn just is curious,” Nakase explained. “If you [reporters] ever were on the flip side, she’ll ask you a million questions. And what she’s trying to do is find out [her teammates] strengths… Off the court too, Caitlin does a great job of finding out who they are [and] what they like.”
Still, Nakase’s closeness with Chen and Burton isn’t going to stop her from challenging them. If anything, it gives her all the more reason to coach them harder.
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“I actually will probably create chaos myself just to see them in these internal battles with me,” Nakase said. “I’m testing them [to] stand behind what you see. If you really want to run this or you see this, stand behind it. So sometimes I just test them.”
Related: Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase praises Kayla Thornton in her first game back since season-ending injury
Related: How Gabby Williams’ Bay Area roots led her to Valkyries in free agency
