"I said what I said": COTY Natalie Nakase fined for bold comments on officials and remains unapologetic for her actions

Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase slammed the referees officiating her team’s 101-72 Game 1 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday. The newly-named WNBA Coach of the Year called out the referees for not giving her team a “fair” and “clean fight.” Nakase was reportedly fined for her postgame comments about the referees' handling of the game.

After the Valkyries' scrimmage on Tuesday, Nakase responded to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews when asked about the WNBA penalizing her.

"I said what I said. I'm always going to fight for my team when I feel that. The calls were the calls, and I got fined. So, you know, throwing in that donation, or whatever it is. So I paid for it, and I'm going to donate that. I heard it was a tax write-off."

Natalie Nakase named one play in particular that she said took the “aggression” out of her team. She mentioned an instance where forward Iliana Rupert received a foul while battling for a rebound. Golden State led 28-21 after one quarter before Minnesota won the next 10 minutes 26-12. According to Nakase, some of the fouls against the Valkyries allowed the Lynx to gain momentum and control of the game.

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Natalie Nakase guides Golden State Valkyries to playoffs, first expansion team to make postseason

The Golden State Valkyries hired former Las Vegas Aces assistant coach Natalie Nakase to guide the team in its inaugural WNBA campaign. Despite reportedly missing out on key free agent targets like Kelsey Plum and Brionna Jones, Nakase helped build a roster that would turn heads.

The Valkyries wanted players with versatility with a “strong mix of leadership, defense and scoring ability.” They started the roster construction by grabbing seven international players from the expansion draft. Kayla Thornton, who suffered a season-ending injury, earned an All-Star selection. Veronica Burton won the Most Improved Player of the Year award.

With arguably no proven scorers, Natalie Nakase leaned on defense as the Valkyries’ calling card. The team finished with a 99.8 defensive rating, third-best in the WNBA. Only the Minnesota Lynx, owners of the best record in the WNBA, and the third-seeded Atlanta Dream performed better.

Behind a stifling defense and balanced attack, the Valkyries ended the regular season with a 23-21 record for the No. 8 seed. They held off the LA Sparks (21-23) for the final playoff spot.

Natalie Nakase earned 53 first-placed votes to win the Coach of the Year Award over second-placer Karl Smesko of the Atlanta Dream.

Edited by Michael Macasero