Natalie Nakase’s message for Valkyries heading into FIBA break

Aug 31, 2026 - 16:30

With the Golden State Valkyries riding high off a four-game win streak and a dominant 86-69 win over the Portland Fire, coach Natalie Nakase has one message for her team as they prepare for the two-and-a-half-week FIBA World Cup break: keep the mind clear.

“[I] told them this is not exactly like All-Star break, right? Because when we come back, it’s more into focusing on the playoffs,” Nakase said, who herself will be headed to Berlin, Germany, as an assistant coach under Kara Lawson on Team USA.

Along with Nakase at FIBA, Gabby Williams and Janelle Salaun will represent the French national team; Cecilia Zandalasini will play for Italy in the Italian national team’s first FIBA appearance in 32 years, and developmental player Miela Sowah will represent the Australian national team. The rest of the Valkyries will get some time off to recuperate and refresh for their playoff run.

“So whatever they need, I told them the first couple days, whatever you guys need. Again, giving them the onus; everyone’s different, both mentally and physically. Whatever they need, our coaches are obviously going to be in communication with them to make sure they’re on top of their recovery, but also staying in good shape. So there’s a healthy balance to that. And then also, when they come back, the mindset of being ready for playoffs, just I would say just make sure that they’re clear. Their mind is clear. Because we’re gonna go deeper, obviously, in terms of our game plan.”

With the Valkyries’ path to locking the two-seed in the playoffs in their control, and fresh off a 4-1 five-game road trip that included wins over the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty, they will look to hit the ground running once the WNBA resumes. Golden State’s magic number to clinch the two-seed is three, meaning any combination of Valkyries wins and Las Vegas losses will secure their spot on that side of the bracket.

They can also leapfrog the Lynx for the first seed if they win out and Minnesota loses three of their last. That would be extremely favorable for Golden State, as that would likely pit the Lynx and the Aces against each other on the other side of the bracket, the two teams they’ve struggled with this season.

The Valkyries’ final four opponents are home versus Portland, home versus the Seattle Storm, then at Portland, and at the Los Angeles Sparks to wrap up the regular season.

Natalie Nakase and Team USA

Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase during the third quarter against the Washington Mystics at Chase Center. — Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

While Nakase will not get the rest and relaxation most of her players will get during the FIBA break, she remains excited for the opportunity to contribute to Team USA and their quest for another FIBA title.

“This is a dream come true for me,” Nakase said. “It’s a job that I never thought I was going to get, and so just being able to, you know, be Cara’s assistant and then coach alongside of Stephanie [White] and Nate [Tibbets], like I’m just excited to learn. Obviously represent USA, and then obviously get to see Gabby, Chechi, Ja, Mila over there. Just super excited to be around some of the best players in the world.”

If the bracket shakes up right, it will be a bit strange to see Nakase coaching against her beloved players. She’s guaranteed to face Zandalasini and the Italians in Group Play, but assuming the USA and France win their groups, Williams and Salaun would not face Nakase until the finals.

“We got to get through our group first… and USA has to get through their group as well,” Williams said when asked pre-game by KPIX’s Matt Lively. “But that would be… funny.”

As for the Valkyries back in the States, they’re excited to cheer their teammates and coach on– if they can find where to watch the games.

“I mean it’s going to be good, you know, I ain’t got cable because it’s too expensive,” Kayla Thornton said after the win, which got a chuckle out of Tiffany Hayes sitting next to her at the podium.