In October 2023, when San Francisco was announced as the location for a new WNBA expansion team, no one was more excited than owner Joe Lacob. Even though the team did not have a name yet, Lacob knew one thing: the goal was to win championships. At the press conference with WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert, Lacob made a bold declaration, “I’m telling you right now, we will win a WNBA championship in the first five years of this franchise.”
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Fast forward two years in the future, the Golden State Valkyries finished what was the best inaugural season by an expansion franchise in WNBA History. With Head Coach Natalie Nakase and her coaching staff leading the charge, the Valkyries finished the season with a 23-21 record and made their way to the playoffs.
They fell short in the first round against the eventual champs, the Las Vegas Aces, but not before giving them a fright in a win-or-go-home Game 3 at Ballhalla. Even though it was an elimination in the first round, it was a big victory for the Valkyries, who announced to the world that they have arrived. Nakase was awarded the Coach of the Year honors, Kayla Thornton was named an All-Star, Veronica Burton won Most Improved Player, and was named to the All-Defensive 2nd Team.
Nakase was on A Touch More podcast recently, where she spoke with Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe. Megan brought up how Joe Lacob, the owner, expects a championship within the first five years. She asked Nakase if she feels the pressure about the same, or does she put extra pressure on herself, and then followed it up by asking whether Lacob has changed the timeline since they made the playoffs.
“He has mentioned, he’s like, we could do it earlier,” Nakase replied. “He’s like, if you want to do it early, we could do it earlier. I’m okay with that.” Nakase then went on to respond to Rapinoe’s first question. “No pressure. In all honesty, like pressure to me, it’s a made-up word.”
Nakase went on to explain what pressure means to her, “It’s just something that, you know, you can’t see. It’s not physical, like it’s all in your head. And so that’s why I talked about the mental part and how important it is to know where your players are at mentally to care for them when they need it. Shoot, it could be every day for some players. And so, now, not big on pressure.”
Even though she doesn’t feel any pressure, that doesn’t mean Nakase doesn’t have a plan in mind for the upcoming season. “I feel like I’m a big coach in terms of control what you can control. And so what is that? I mean, you know, we lost 21 games last year. So how can I go back?”
Not only Nakase, but her coaching staff are also using this offseason to get better, learn new tactics, and keep improving themselves to further better the team. “I’m trying to jump in and learn from my mentors and my staff as well, like they’re doing a deep dive and trying to get, you know, as much, you know, tactics and studying right now at the moment.”
With the WNBA CBA hanging in the balance and the flurry of free agency, there are a ton of roster moves that are going to happen. Nakase knows that, but at this point, can’t control the future. Instead, she’s focusing on the controllables and hoping her preparation can help the Valkyries in the upcoming season.
At the same time, she’s being backed by an owner who knows how to win. When Lacob took over the Warriors in 2010, they were a 26-win team. Within five years, Lacob propelled them to their first championship in 40 years. He knows how to hire the right people, and backs them to get the right pieces to attain the ultimate goal.
The Valkyries will win a WNBA Championship. The only question that remains: Can they do it within Lacob’s five year timeline?
