The Valkyries, a new WNBA team in the Bay Area, have already garnered praise from Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr. Kerr believes that the Valkyries will become a flagship franchise in the WNBA due to their strong foundation and potential for success. Despite not having a roster yet, the team has made significant strides by hiring Natalie Nakase as their first head coach. Nakase previously served as an assistant with the Las Vegas Aces and played a role in their back-to-back championship wins in 2022 and 2023. Kerr spoke highly of Nakase’s reputation and expressed his confidence in Ohemaa Nyanin, who was named the Valkyries’ general manager.
The mutual respect between the Valkyries’ staff and the Warriors is evident, as Nakase expressed her desire to learn from Kerr during her introductory press conference. She acknowledged his coaching expertise and emphasized that effective communication is key to getting players to buy into a system.
Currently, there are 12 teams in the WNBA, but there are plans to expand to 16 teams by 2028. The addition of the Valkyries next year will make them the first team to join since 2008. Additionally, teams from Portland and Toronto will be joining in 2026, leaving just one more spot available for reaching this goal.
there is optimism surrounding both Natalie Nakase’s leadership as head coach and Ohemaa Nyanin’s role as general manager for the Valkyries. With strong support from Steve Kerr and promising developments within their organization so far, it seems that this new WNBA team has a bright future ahead of them.
