Valkyries Coach Nakase Calls On-Court Collapse a 'Wake-Up Call'

Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase stated that she felt "a little exhaustion" when she collapsed during Game 3 of her team's first-round series against the Dallas Wings on Friday. Nakase addressed reporters on Sunday, a day after being cleared by doctors to coach the Valkyries' 71-60 win against the Aces in their series opener. She plans to wear a heart monitor to gather more information about her health.

"Thank you guys, obviously, for your concerns and everything. I’m good," Nakase said. "I think I talked to you guys about that; I wanted to learn from my father. He was an extremely hard-working man. I follow in his footsteps and I thrive in that."

Nakase, 46, attributed her focus on health to her father's own approach to his career. "He just said, ‘Do not let your career ever get involved in your mental health or your health gets complicated.’ So when that happened, it definitely was like a wake-up call for me. I got checked through doctors to see if everything looks good."

She collapsed with 1:40 remaining in Game 3 while speaking with an official near the team's bench. Medical personnel and fellow coaches immediately attended to her. Nakase remained on the bench for the rest of the game and left the court with a staff member after it concluded.

Aces head coach Becky Hammon, who previously coached Nakase as an assistant in Las Vegas, described the incident as "scary" and acknowledged Nakase's toughness.

Nakase emphasized her intention to be proactive about her well-being, drawing a contrast with her father's past approach. "You know what I’m gonna do that my dad didn’t do — and may he rest in peace — I’m gonna be proactive," Nakase said. "I think information for me is important and so I’m going to look to wear a heart monitor, just for information, just to see. You know, I have this Oura ring. But I just wanna be proactive, be smart. I understand this job for me, I love it. Sometimes I love it too much to a point where I overwork and I just wanna make sure I’m being smart."