Golden State Valkyries Coach Natalie Nakase Collapses on Court, Expected to Be OK
Nakase was attended to by medical staff and later returned to the bench during the team's playoff victory over the Dallas Wings.
Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase is expected to be fine after collapsing on the court during the fourth quarter of her team's 77-73 victory against the Dallas Wings on Friday night. Nakase, 46, fell to her hands and knees while speaking with a referee during a timeout at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Medical personnel immediately assisted Nakase, and she was able to return to the team's bench, holding her head. After the game concluded, assistant coach Kasib Powell addressed the media in her place.
"She is fine," Powell stated. "She wouldn’t miss it for anything. So I just wanted to start with that and say that she is fine."
Powell indicated that the incident was unexpected for the coaching staff. "We’re still trying to figure it out. We just know that we just seen her afterwards and she was fine, laughing, and in great spirits," he said. "I think we’ll figure out more as we go."
Despite the mid-game health scare, Nakase remained actively involved, drawing up plays and coaching her team during the final moments of the game. "She was on the sideline; she drew the next play up. She was in the huddle, getting on them about getting the stop," Powell recounted. "So she didn’t skip a beat at all. So we were just trying to keep our composure and just rally around each other and her."
The Valkyries are scheduled to play the Las Vegas Aces, the No. 3 seed and defending WNBA champions, on Sunday. Powell confirmed that Nakase is expected to be ready to coach for that matchup.