Valkyries Owner Joe Lacob’s Sharp Demand to Valkyries Coach Resurfaces.
Granted, much of that success has come from his other basketball team, the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. Since acquiring the Warriors in 2010, Lacob has had a great deal of success. Lacob’s career with the franchise has seen four NBA titles, the most recent in 2022, as well as the winningest regular season in NBA history in 2016. The Valkyries are Lacob’s entry into the WNBA, capitalizing on the growing popularity of women’s basketball.
Due to their success in the regular season so far and their record-breaking value jump, his expansion team has been the talk of the league in 2025, surpassing all expectations for a team in its first season. According to Sportico, the Valkyries are already worth $500 million, making them the league’s most valuable team. The Golden State Valkyries, Joseph Lacob, and Jess Smith Golden State Valkyries president Jess Smith and owner Joe Lacob at Chase Center. / David Gonzales-Imagn Images Jacob is dedicated to seeing confetti fall from the Chase Center’s rafters all year long and has been outspoken about his expectations for the Valkyries.
He was clear about his expectations when he was searching for a head coach to guide his team. Logan Murdock of The Ringer reported on Wednesday that Lacob was candid and forthright during his first meeting with Natalie Nakase, the head coach of the Valkyries. He informed Nakase, “I have high expectations, and we might as well get that right up front.” “You must win a title in five years. If you can’t take that, you’re probably not the appropriate person.” Lacob’s timeline is unparalleled in the WNBA and creates a significant challenge. Only the Seattle Storm has ever accomplished this accomplishment in their first five seasons as an expansion franchise, and that was in 2004.
Apart from that, the challenges of building a team from the ground up have historically caused expansion teams to struggle early in their existence. Nakase, Natalie In response to Joe Lacob, despite his difficulties, Nakase might be Lacob’s long-term coach. She embraced his proclamation. She said to Murdock, “I remember slamming the table.” “I say to Joe, ‘I’m prepared to sign.'”
Nakase provides the championship experience that Lacob was hoping for. She won two WNBA championships as an assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces under Becky Hammon. With the majority of the season completed, Nakase has demonstrated her ability to navigate the choppy waters of a new squad, leading her team to a 14-15 record and, if the season ended today, a playoff berth. Natalie Nakase, head coach for the Golden State Valkyries. Natalie Nakase, head coach of the Golden State Valkyries, during a game versus the Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena in College Park. Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images. Murdock’s piece resurfaces an exchange between Lacob and Nakase, which was first disclosed in October 2024 (via NBC Sports).
Nakase has had first-year success despite a rotating door of players coming and going on the waiver wire and the loss of two of her finest players: All-Star forward Kayla Thornton, whose season has ended due to a knee injury that necessitated surgery, and forward Monique Billings, who has been out with a damaged left ankle and is scheduled for a reevaluation in less than two weeks time. The Valkyries’ recent losses have resulted in a 2-2 split in their previous four games.
The Valkyries’ chances of making the playoffs could be put to the ultimate test when the Los Angeles Sparks visit town on Saturday. The Sparks, who are currently just out of postseason contention, are the next team behind the Valkyries in the standings with a 14–15 record. Saturday’s game will determine the tiebreaker between the two clubs if the postseason standings are close.
