Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-04 · by Janie Mccauley The Associated Press
Natalie Nakase, coach of the Golden State Valkyries, returned to the bench for Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals against Las Vegas on Sunday after experiencing exhaustion during Friday’s game against Dallas. The 46-year-old was examined by a doctor and plans to be more proactive about her health going forward, possibly wearing a heart monitor and adjusting her work routine. Becky Hammon, coach of the defending champion Aces, highlighted the stress and pressure Nakase faces this time of year.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Natalie Nakase, the 46-year-old coach of the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA, returned to the bench on Sunday for Game 1 of the semifinals against Las Vegas after collapsing due to exhaustion during a game two days earlier. Despite concerns raised by players urging her to prioritize recovery, Nakase was examined by a doctor and deemed fit enough to coach, though she emphasized being "proactive" about both her physical and mental health moving forward. The incident occurred at the team's home in San Francisco following their first-round clincher victory earlier that week.
Written for “Nakase Returns To Coach” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase was back on the bench and and well enough to coach Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals Sunday against Las Vegas after she went down on the sideline two days earlier in the first-round clincher with what she described as exhaustion.
asserted
she → coach → exhaustion
“Just exhaustion,” she said.
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she → say → ?
“I ate and drank right after and felt better.”
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I → eat → ?
The 46-year-old Nakase said she was examined by a doctor during Saturday’s off day ahead of the series opener Sunday and insists she will be “proactive” with both her health and mental health.
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she → say → health
The players encouraged her to take time for recovery, something she constantly stresses to them.
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she → encourage → them
“I’m good.
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I → ’m → ?
I had a little exhaustion obviously,” she said.
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she → have → exhaustion
“I think I talked to you guys about what I have to learn from my father.
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I → think → father
He was an extremely hard-working man.
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He → work → ?
I followed in his footsteps and I
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I → follow → footsteps
But he told me, ‘Natalie,’ this was about 10 years ago when I never knew what I was going to do with my career and he just said, ‘do not let your career ever get involved if your mental health or your health gets complicated.’
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health → tell → career
So, when that happened, it definitely was like a wake-up call for me but I got checked through the doctors.
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I → happen → doctors
Obviously everything looks good.”
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everything → look → ?
She plans to something her dad didn’t and “be proactive,” such as considering wearing a heart monitor and taking other steps to deal with her extreme work ethic.
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dad → plan → ethic
She already wears a tracking ring to monitor some health statistics.
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She → wear → statistics
“Information for me is really important,” she said.
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she → say → me
“I just want to be proactive, be smart.
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I → want → ?
I understand this job for me I love it, sometimes I love it too much to a point I overwork.
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I → understand → point
I just want to make sure I’m being smart.”
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I → want → ?
That might mean “no extra, extra, extra film” and sticking to the timeline on a given day.
uncertain
That → mean → day
“It’s taking the time and organizing my mornings,” she said with changing game times and schedules.
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she → take → times
“... Everything’s a little bit different with my routine.”
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Everything → ’ → routine
Nakase didn’t address the team after the 77-73 win Friday night against the Dallas Wings at Chase Center, when her team rallied from a 16-point deficit.
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team → address → deficit
With 1:40 remaining in the game, she was on the sideline near the Valkyries’ bench and lowered to the floor with her head and hands on the court.
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head → remain → court
Nakase was helped up by athletic trainer Katelin Knox.
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Nakase → help → Knox
The coach finished the game but exited the floor immediately following the final buzzer escorted by a member of her staff as her team celebrated at midcourt.
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team → finish → midcourt
The best-of-five matchup with the defending WNBA champion Aces features Nakase coaching against Becky Hammon, who had Nakase on her staff as an assistant coach from 2022-24 — when the team won consecutive titles in 2022 and ‘23.
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team → defend → 2022
Hammon called Nakase a “little mighty mouse work horse, there’s no doubt about that.”
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Hammon → call → that
“The stress this time of year is real, the pressure, you don’t get a lot of sleep, you’re not eating as well as your probably should, there’s a lot of factors that go into that,” Hammon said.
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Hammon → get → that
“It was kind of scary actually to watch.
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It → watch → ?
That little sucker popped right back up though, popped right back up onto that marker and kept it pushing.
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sucker → pop → it
She’s tough.”
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She → ’ → ?
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