Warriors’ Steve Kerr says Golden State Valkyries will be ‘flagship franchise’ in WNBA, praises Natalie Nakase

The Valkyries haven’t even played their first season in the WNBA yet, but Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr is already feeling good about the future of the women’s basketball in the Bay Area.

“I think the Valkyries are going to be — before long — a flagship franchise in the WNBA,” said Kerr, who has won four NBA championships with the Warriors. “They’re building something really powerful. Just need some players now.”

The team recently announced the hiring of Natalie Nakase as their first head coach. She spent the last three seasons with the Las Vegas Aces as an assistant under Becky Hammon, and that was a very successful stint as the Aces won the WNBA title in 2022 and 2023. 

Kerr talked highly about Nakase’s reputation and said he liked what he has seen from the franchise despite not having a roster yet.

“I think I met [Nakase] when she was with the Clippers years ago, so I don’t know her well, but I’ve heard great things. It’s exciting,” Kerr said. “She’s got a great reputation, and [it is] pretty impressive what the Valkyries are putting together without even having any players yet. The branding is really cool, the colors, the name, the people who are coming in.”

Kerr also shared he feels good about Ohemaa Nyanin being named the Valkyries general manager.

“Ohemaa is a star. She’s an amazing person,” Kerr said. “I’ve gotten to know her a little bit behind the scenes. She’s building her group, obviously, so a lot of impressive people.”

It is clear the respect between the staff from the Valkyries and Warriors is mutual, as Nakase shared her desire to learn from Kerr during her introductory press conference last week.

“I would be a fool if I don’t pick his brain,” Nakase said. “I would love to pick his brain and maybe just sit in on practice and see how different coaches teach, because it’s not just about what you know. It’s about how you get your players to buy in and what that communication looks like. So, I’m just really excited.

“And again, with the legacy of the winning and the championships, that’s where I want to be. This is a place where I’ve always strived to be, because I’ve always wanted to be the best.”

The WNBA currently has 12 teams, but is trying to expand to 16 by 2028. The Valkyries will become the 13th team next year, making them the first team join the WNBA since the Atlanta Dream in 2008. They will begin putting together a roster on Dec. 6 with the expansion draft.

There will also be teams in Portland and Toronto joining in 2026, meaning the WNBA needs just one more team to reach its goal of 16.