Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase loves to say that she doesn’t really know what she’s doing, but one thing she is undoubtedly talented at is the art of speaking to reporters, which was only enhanced Saturday thanks to the champagne and beer that flowed after winning a championship.
Of course, the booze wasn’t necessary to deliver a powerful message. When she first got the mic after the Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream 68-63 to win the organization’s first championship, she dropped an F-bomb on national television while looking straight at the fans.
“And this is for all of the people that have been underrated, misunderstood, this is for all of y’all,” she said. “Because if you put all your heart, and all your soul, you f-king win championships!”
The language continued into the media room, where she walked in polishing off the beer she brought over from the locker room. The instant she sat down, she said, “Gabby needs alcohol,” referencing her Finals MVP, Gabby Williams, flanking her left. The press conference opened with reporter Marisa Ingemi – Nakase sought her out by name with an elongated “Marisaaaaaaa” – who asked if winning a championship felt like she imagined it would, to which the coach gave an emphatic, “F-k yea.”
Nakase is a showman. For as clear and open as she is with the media, she also makes a habit of directing at least one answer in her presser to Ballhalla, the Valkyries fan base that fills Chase Center on a regular basis. It’s very pro wrestler-like.
Winning a championship, and the libations that come with the accomplishment, loosened her up to levels never before seen. When a reporter asked her whether she can imagine the Valks running it back, her response almost burst out of her.
“Girl! I just need to get drunk tonight! I ate this morning I slept. Let’s just enjoy the moment.” 🍾🍺 – Natalie Nakase on if she’s already thinking about the Valkyries winning the championship next year. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/5T5XybL8yH
– 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) November 1, 2026
“Girl, I just need to get drunk tonight, so let me get there,” she said. “I ate this morning. I slept. Let’s just enjoy the moment.”
Williams and center Kiah Stokes helped the comedic timing of the responses. The Valks All-Star tried to get the crowd of reporters to cheer for Nakase after the coach announced she ate and got some sleep. When the final question of the presser was about the strategic decision to switch Williams on Naz Hillmon, Stokes turned to the other two and said, “Oh, we talking basketball now,” prompting a laugh from all three. Nakase followed the laughter up with a facetious snore, and then she answered the question with the quote of the night.
“Y’all think I know what I’m doing?” the championship-winning coach said. “I just switch things just to switch it up. You think there’s some science behind it? There really isn’t. It’s just literally just to mix it up.”
Coaching tenures can be a fickle thing in professional sports, but winning a championship is the one way to secure some longevity. In other words, in addition to the championship their favorite team won, Valkyries fans can enjoy the fact that they’ll be seeing a lot more of Nakase in the years to come.
More Valkyries
- The Valkyries are WNBA champions: Here’s the gear to celebrate
– Here’s what we know about a Valkyries championship parade.
– Amid tension of Game 7, Kaitlyn Chen wears hot dog costume
– Protesters showed up at the WNBA Finals. Valkyries fans shut them down.
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This article originally published at Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase delivers all-time postgame presser after championship.
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