Valkyries' Nakase Ready to Coach After Sideline Collapse

Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase is well enough to coach Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals Sunday against the Las Vegas Aces, two days after she went down on the sideline during the team's first-round clincher, according to ESPN.

Nakase, 46, described the episode as "just exhaustion." "I ate and drank right after and felt better," she said, per ESPN. She was examined by a doctor during Saturday's scheduled off day ahead of the series opener.

What happened to Nakase on the sideline?

With 1 minute, 40 seconds left in Friday night's 77-73 win over the Dallas Wings at Chase Center, Nakase was standing near the Valkyries' bench when she lowered herself to the floor, head and hands on the court, according to ESPN. Athletic trainer Katelin Knox helped her up. Nakase finished the game but left the floor immediately after the final buzzer and did not address the team afterward, ESPN reported. The win completed a comeback from a 16-point deficit and sent Golden State to the semifinals against Las Vegas.

Will Nakase coach Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals?

Yes. ESPN reported the Valkyries said Nakase is not expected to miss time, and she confirmed she will be on the bench for the series opener. She said the diagnosis was straightforward exhaustion and that medical checks afterward came back clear. "It definitely was like a wake-up call for me, but I got checked through the doctors. Obviously everything looks good," Nakase said, according to ESPN.

What is Nakase doing to prevent another collapse?

Nakase said she is adjusting her routine to curb what she called an "extreme work ethic," according to ESPN. She is considering wearing a heart monitor in addition to a tracking ring she already uses to follow health statistics. "Information for me is really important," she said. "I just want to be proactive, be smart. I understand this job for me I love it, sometimes I love it too much to a point I overwork. I just want to make sure I'm being smart."

"I understand this job for me I love it, sometimes I love it too much to a point I overwork. I just want to make sure I'm being smart." — Natalie Nakase

She said she is reorganizing her mornings and scaling back film sessions, a departure from habits that have defined her preparation. "That might mean no extra, extra, extra film," Nakase said, pointing to the shifting game times and schedules that have forced changes to her daily plan. "It's taking the time and organizing my mornings. ... Everything's a little bit different with my routine."

ESPN reported the Valkyries' players had urged Nakase to take time for recovery, the same message she regularly delivers to them during the season.

How did the Valkyries advance to the semifinals?

Golden State erased a 16-point deficit to beat Dallas in the first-round clincher, a comeback ESPN credited in part to forward Gabby Williams, nicknamed "Big Shot Gabby" in the network's coverage of the series. The Valkyries also saw guard Janelle Salaun named the league's unanimous Sixth Player of the Year, according to ESPN's reporting on the award. The semifinal matchup pits Golden State against the Las Vegas Aces, while the Indiana Fever and other contenders navigate their own postseason and offseason questions, per ESPN's broader playoff coverage.

What is the WNBA semifinal format Nakase is coaching in?

The WNBA semifinals are part of the league's postseason bracket that determines which two teams advance to the championship series. Golden State's path to this round ran through a first-round series against Dallas that required the come-from-behind Game 3 win. A glossary of terms relevant to Nakase's situation:

• Sideline collapse: Nakase's own term was "exhaustion"; she said medical exams afterward were clear, per ESPN.
• Tracking ring: A wearable device Nakase already uses to monitor health statistics, according to ESPN.
• Heart monitor: An additional device Nakase said she is considering adding to her routine.
• Sixth Player of the Year: The award given to the top reserve player in the league, won unanimously this season by Valkyries guard Janelle Salaun, per ESPN.

Nakase did not say whether she would alter her coaching approach once the series against Las Vegas begins, only that her off-court routine — sleep, meals, film review, and morning scheduling — would look different than it has for most of the season, according to ESPN's report.

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