The WNBA’s 2025 season has been a battle against injuries, and no team knows that struggle better than the Golden State Valkyries. With a league-high 27 injuries, including a season-ending one to All-Star forward Kayla Thornton, first-year head coach Natalie Nakase is navigating a minefield.
Ahead of the recent matchup with the Indiana Fever, Nakase got real about the league’s injury crisis, admitting she doesn’t have all the answers but stressing the need to protect her players for the long haul.
Natalie Nakase Addresses WNBA’s Injury Issue
According to The IX Basketball’s WNBA injury tracker, over 117 players have missed a staggering 901 games this season, surpassing 2024’s numbers. The Valkyries, sitting at 21-18 and sixth in the playoff race, are taking hard hits.
Nakase has leaned on her deep bench all season and mentioned that her team is “used to it”. Though she didn’t shy away from the toll it takes. While some point to the grueling schedule or cross-country travel as culprits, Nakase noted there’s no solid data pinning down the cause.
“If I had that answer, I wouldn’t be a coach, I’d be a millionaire. Obviously, it’s a part of basketball; it happens. But you guys see how important and how I am so focused on taking care of my players. I’m not good with season-ending injuries. I did it to myself,” Nakase said.
Asked Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase about the league-wide string of injuries this season:
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) August 31, 2025
“If I knew the answer to that, I wouldn’t be a coach, I’d be a millionaire!”
She then talked about how her own injuries at UCLA affects how cautiously she manages her team’s injuries. pic.twitter.com/KfAYko7UMG
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While the roster is a complete mess, she is clear with her approach in prioritizing player health, now and for life after basketball. However, Nakase’s perspective comes from personal experience. A standout at Marina High, where she got the 1998 Orange County Player of the Year nod, she also earned a spot at UCLA as a walk-on.
But a freshman-year ACL tear forced her to redshirt, and a later knee ligament injury in Germany ended her playing career in 2008.
Natalie Nakase Locked In At The Playoffs
The Valkyries are currently in a tight race for the playoffs with fewer games to play in the regular season. Their position is precarious, as the eighth-seeded Indiana Fever is close behind, and the Los Angeles Sparks are also in the hunt.
With one team tailgating the other, head coach Natalie Nakase is solely focusing on the team’s playoff birth. Recently, when asked about her shot at the Coach of the Year, she emphasized that her primary concern is helping the Valkyries secure a playoff spot. If it goes through, it would make them the first expansion team in WNBA history to achieve this in their inaugural season.
I floated the question of Coach of the Year to Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase.
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) August 27, 2025
“Nobody cares about that. Honestly. I’m just being deadass our goal is to make the playoffs.”
She did suggest the award should be changed to a different title:
“It should be coaching staff of the year.” pic.twitter.com/4kVSiHy0A6
But she is something else of a leader. Natalie refused to take all the credit. Despite her remarkable performance and the team’s success, Nakase gave it all to her coaching staff for their contributions. Additionally, she also suggested that if someone has to get the, it has to be the entire coaching staff rather than just her.