Natalie Nakase made history Saturday night, becoming the first Asian American head coach to win a WNBA championship as the Golden State Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a dramatic winner-take-all Game 7 of the WNBA Finals.
The championship also marked an important milestone for Asian American representation in basketball. Nakase’s achievement came alongside that of Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen, the first Taiwanese American player drafted into the WNBA.
Nakase’s coaching decisions proved pivotal in the Finals. After the Valkyries fell behind 2-1, she changed her starting lineup for Game 4, inserting Kaila Charles and Tiffany Hayes. The adjustment helped spark Golden State’s comeback.
The championship was powered by Gabby Williams, who scored 30 points, including her team’s final 11 points of the third quarter. She joined Penny Taylor, who scored 30 for Phoenix in 2007, as the only players in WNBA history to reach that mark in a winner-take-all Finals game.
“Gabby is our closer. She stayed patient, she stayed with it,” Nakase said. “Closing with 30, that is incredible!”
Williams credited Nakase’s halftime message for helping her find her rhythm.
“Nat told me to stay patient. I trust her with my life,” Williams said. “I stayed patient.”
The Valkyries became the first expansion franchise in WNBA history to reach the playoffs in their inaugural season in 2025. Owner Joe Lacob had promised a championship within the team’s first five years. Golden State delivered in Year 2.
After the final buzzer, players celebrated as confetti fell from the rafters at Chase Center. Lacob praised the team, its coaching staff and the fans who have filled the arena since the franchise’s debut.
“These ladies deserve all the credit in the world for (their) incredible resilience, every last one of them, and our coach,” Lacob said.
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