SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Twenty years after playing professional women’s basketball in San Jose, Natalie Nakase is returning to the Bay Area after being named Thursday as the Golden State Valkyries' first head coach. Los Angeles-native Nakase is coming to the Valkyries from the Las Vegas Aces, where she served as the team’s first assistant coach since 2022. “She played a critical role guiding the team to back-to-back WNBA Championships” in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the Valkyries said in a news release. The Aces have a record of 87-29 over the last three seasons, including the team’s 19 wins and six losses in the playoffs. Prior to working with the Aces, Nakase spent 10 seasons in the National Basketball League with the Los Angeles Clippers and its G League affiliate in various roles, including assistant coach and player development. She began her coaching career in 2008 with the Women’s Professional Basketball German League, followed by the Men’s Professional Basketball Japan League in 2010. SF Fleet Week: Blue Angels practicing for Air Show Thursday On the court, Nakase was a team captain for three seasons at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she played from 1998 to 2003. She then made her professional debut playing for the San Jose Spiders and San Diego Siege in the now-defunct National Women’s Basketball League. “Natalie is the perfect candidate to lead the Valkyries as our head coach,” said Valkyries General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin. “She exemplifies every character trait in what we were looking for in a head coach and possesses deep expertise across professional basketball. Her journey is representative of the grit and perseverance that our team will embody to achieve our ultimate goal of winning championships.” Oakland council member says ‘contingency budget’ is in effect as Coliseum deal moves forward In a statement, Nakase said that head coaching for Golden State “is a lifelong dream come true.” “I am thankful to Joe Lacob, Ohemaa Nyanin and the Golden State front office for entrusting me with this responsibility,” Nakase said. “We are committed to building a winning culture of grit, hard work, and competitiveness. We will strive to improve, compete, and ultimately bring home a championship for our fans and this organization.” The Golden State Valkyries were announced as the 13th Women’s National Basketball League franchise one year ago and will begin playing in the 2025 season. The team is headquartered in Oakland and will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco.