During a critical moment in the fourth quarter of Game 3 between the Golden State Valkyries and the Dallas Wings in the WNBA playoffs, coach Natalie Nakase collapsed on the court due to feeling lightheaded and exhausted. Despite the alarming situation, Nakase continued coaching for the remainder of the game, which ended with a 77-73 win for the Valkyries. The team confirmed that Nakase is expected to lead them in Game 1 of the semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-03,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase collapsed on the court late in the fourth quarter of the 77-73 Game 3 win over the Wings on Friday night in the first round of the WNBA playoffs.
asserted
Nakase → collapse → playoffs
The franchise told ESPN that Nakase felt lightheaded and exhausted, and she is expected to coach Game 1 of the semifinals Sunday against the Aces.
asserted
she → tell → Aces
Nakase, 46, coached the team for the remainder of the game, but she did not speak after the victory.
asserted
she → coach → victory
“Natalie’s fine,” assistant coach Kasib Powell said.
asserted
Powell → ’ → ?
“Obviously, it’s a quick turnaround, we play again on Sunday.
asserted
we → ’ → Sunday
She wouldn’t miss it for anything.
asserted
She → miss → anything
“It’s still new to us, we’re just trying to figure it out.
asserted
we → ’ → it
We just know that we seen her afterward and she was fine, laughing, in great spirits.
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she → know → spirits
We’ll figure out more as we go, but I think she’s totally fine.
asserted
she → figure → more
She’s talking, she’s laughing in the back.
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she → talk → back
We look forward to preparing and getting ready for Sunday.”
asserted
We → look → Sunday
With seventh-seeded Dallas leading 72-71 with 1:40 remaining, Nakase talked to a referee when she suddenly fell to the court.
asserted
she → seed → court
Two Valkyries staffers and one of the players came over to check on the coach, whose forearms and knees were on the floor with her head tucked.
asserted
head → come → floor
Nakase eventually started rising, touching her forehead while the staffers aided her to her feet.
asserted
staffers → start → feet
She appeared in pain while she walked toward the bench, grimacing while she again ran her hand over her forehead.
asserted
she → appear → forehead
“Natalie Nakase having some sort of episode on the floor for Golden State,” ESPN play-by-play man Ryan Ruocco said.
asserted
Ruocco → have → play
“Did she slip perhaps, going out onto the floor?”
asserted
she → slip → floor
Nakase resumed her duties despite the scary episode, coaching her team in the huddle.
asserted
Nakase → resume → huddle
“(She) didn’t miss a beat,” Powell said.
asserted
Powell → miss → beat
“We were locked in as that happened.
asserted
that → lock → ?
When she went to the sidelines she drew the next play up, she was in the huddle getting on them about getting a stop.
asserted
she → go → stop
She didn’t skip a beat at all.
asserted
She → skip → beat
We tried to keep our composure and rally around each other and her.”
asserted
We → try → other
The second-seeded Valkyries ultimately scored the next six points — part of an 8-0 run — to rally from a 53-37 third-quarter deficit and secure their first playoff series win in team history in just their second season.
asserted
Valkyries → score → season
“She’s OK, she’s fine,” Golden State guard Gabby Williams said after scoring 19 points.
asserted
Williams → ’ → points
“We just tried to step up ourselves.
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We → try → ?
We’re just happy that she’s OK.”
asserted
she → ’re → ?
Golden State now faces the defending champion Aces in the semifinals after Las Vegas defeated the Fever and superstar Caitlin Clark in three games.
asserted
Vegas → face → games
Game 1 is Sunday in San Francisco at 4 p.m. ET, and the series winner will take on either the eighth-seeded Liberty or the fourth-seeded Dream in the WNBA Finals.
asserted
winner → take → Finals
“That was amazing,” said Tiffany Hayes, who scored 18 points.
asserted
who → say → points
“After all that hard work of fighting and clawing back, doing it with this team, it was amazing. …
asserted
it → fight → team
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