Once you take your first head teaching job, you search all the recommendation you will get.
That’s what new Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase did as a report by WNBA author Noe Dalzell revealed she’s elicited the recommendation of a NBA championship successful coach.
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The Golden State Valkyries are the WNBA’s newest growth staff and can make their lengthy anticipated debut within the league this season.
Selecting a head coach is at all times a troublesome job however for the Valkyries there was a transparent entrance runner in Nakase.
Nakase joins Golden State with 16 years {of professional} teaching expertise.
The previous three seasons she was an assistant coach with the 2022 and 2023 WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, the place she additionally served as their prime scout for school and worldwide athletes.
Earlier than her stint in Las Vegas, she spent 10 seasons with the NBA’s LA Clippers.
Nakase stood out as a candidate, in accordance with normal supervisor Ohemaa Nyanin, due to her “extraordinarily pushed” and inquisitive nature, her work ethic and function as a “unifier.”
Because the WNBA season opener will get nearer, Nakase had a need to study from coaches and Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stood out to her.
Mazzulla like Nakase are each comparatively younger, the Celtics coach turned the youngest head coach within the NBA to win a championship since Invoice Russell did so in 1968 at age 34.
Though for Nakase, looking for the recommendation of Mazzulla was born out of the need to study from coaches who win fast.
“My greatest factor was: how can I decide the brains of head coaches that win shortly?” Nakase informed SB Nation in an unique interview.
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Mazulla received the NBA championship in his second season with the Boston Celtics, after making the Jap Convention finals the 12 months earlier than.
As soon as Nakase obtained into contact with Mazzulla, he was comfortable to assist her and was extremely beneficiant she informed SB.
“He was like, ‘What do you wish to know? What questions do you will have for me?’” Nakase recalled. “I’m like, ‘Are you for actual? Like, aren’t you in-season?’ And he was like, ‘I obtained time.’
“[He was] like, ‘that is me, that is who I’m, and take it nevertheless you need,’” Nakase mentioned. “And I feel it’s type of his mentality, proper? Like, win-or-die.”
Mazzulla’s resolution to assist Nakase was a simple one.
“One of many issues that I like to present again to teaching is admittedly being there for younger coaches who’re getting a terrific alternative, who haven’t performed it earlier than,” Mazzulla informed SB Nation.
“[I’m] simply attempting to present the angle of what comes with that, the nice and the dangerous.”
Nakase has made no secret she desires to win at Golden State and win shortly, similar to Mazzula did.
Though, the WNBA is filled with contenders, no least Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever, who’ve revamped their roster and are able to compete this 12 months.