Mari Jordan

5’2 guard Natalie Nakase had a dream school coming out HS: UCLA. She decided to bet on herself & walk-on. Nakase tore her ACL & missed her entire freshman year, but kept going. She later became the team’s starting PG & captain. Nakase tried to play pro but another knee injury led her to transition to coaching. She spent 4 years earning her stripes overseas in Japan & Germany. In 2012, she joined the Clippers staff as a video intern, a thankless job. She steadily climbed the ranks over a decade, breaking barriers as an assistant coach at summer league. In 2022, Nakase was a finalist for a head coaching job with the Mercury, but got passed over. So she joined Becky Hammon’s staff in Las Vegas. Nakase won titles and learned while waiting for her chance. The Valkyries saw her leadership, her vision, she was named the first head coach for the expansion franchise. Now she’s the first Asian American head coach to win a WNBA title in just her 2nd season. Trailblazer.