The Golden State Valkyries have clinched a playoff spot in the WNBA playoffs. They are the first WNBA expansion to ever do that in their first year. This accomplishment makes head coach Natalie Nakase a strong WNBA Coach of the Year candidate.
Nakase had to overcome a lot of obstacles to reach this point. She developed a group of players who had never played together into a cohesive unit. Veteran player Kayla Thornton grew into an all-star but got injured and is out for the rest of the season. Nakase lead the team into the playoffs anyway. Moreover, the Valkyries have sold out all of their home games and are a franchise valued at $500 million.
As of the time of this writing, the Valkyries are the sixth seed in the WNBA playoffs. Oddly enough, the Valkyries are so new that they cannot play their first playoff game at home in Chase Center. Instead, their first playoff game will be at SAP center in San Jose. The WNBA playoffs begin on September 14. Regardless if the Valkyries make it past the first round, their performance this season makes Natalie Nakase a strong WNBA Coach of the Year candidate.
