Natalie Nakase, head coach of the Golden State Valkyries, put on an absolute master class of late-game coaching on Wednesday, securing a massive Game 2 win over the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA semifinals. This wasn’t just any victory; it was a gritty, strategic triumph that has the Valkyries sitting just one win away from the WNBA Finals in only their second year as a franchise!
The Foul-Up-Three Strategy That Had Vegas Scrambling
Talk about high-stakes basketball, right? With less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, the Valkyries were up by three points thanks to a clutch deep shot from Veronica Burton. Then, Vegas got the ball with under 10 seconds remaining. Now, a lot of coaches might just tell their team to play defense and hope for the best. But not Nakase. She had a plan, and it was brilliant. The Valkyries had already committed enough fouls to put Las Vegas in the bonus, so Nakase’s strategy was clear: foul to prevent a game-tying shot, even if it meant giving up free throws.
The Valkyries executed this three times in the dying seconds, making Vegas earn every single point. First, Gabby Williams fouled Chelsea Gray with 9.2 seconds left. Gray hit both free throws, cutting the lead to just one. Vegas then quickly fouled Kayla Thornton, who calmly nailed both of her foul shots, pushing the lead back to three. Then it happened again! Jackie Young hit both shots for Vegas with seven seconds left, but Burton responded by going 2-for-2 on the other end with 6.4 seconds left, keeping the lead at three. Golden State committed a third foul, sending Young back to the line. Young made her first, then intentionally missed her second. Gray snagged the rebound, tried for a game-tying layup, but Kiah Stokes came out of nowhere with a massive block to seal the Valkyries’ victory! It was chaotic, intense, and absolutely incredible.
Nakase’s Cold-Blooded Coaching Master Class
You gotta love a coach who’s prepared for anything. After the game, Nakase admitted that her coaching staff had this exact strategy mapped out before the game even started. They “wanted to be a little bit more in control” in those high-pressure, late-game situations, and honestly, who can blame them? Especially after what happened a week prior.
Back in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Wings, the Valkyries were up by three late in the game, but they *didn’t* foul. Dallas star Arike Ogunbowale then hit an insane circus shot from deep to tie it up, and the Wings ended up winning in overtime. Ouch. But Nakase isn’t one to make the same mistake twice. Just two nights later, in a winner-take-all Game 3 against the Wings, she switched things up. The Valkyries fouled Alysha Clark with 7.7 seconds left. Clark missed one of two free throws, and then Gabby Williams sank two clutch foul shots to put the game to bed, with Golden State winning by four and advancing to the semifinals. So, when the third “foul up three” situation in eight days came around, Nakase didn’t just stick to the strategy, she *tripled down* on it. And it totally paid off, even with that wild offensive rebound attempt at the very end.
Yeah, it might not be the prettiest way to finish a game, but when you’re one win away from the WNBA Finals in the franchise’s second year, who cares about pretty? Absolutely nobody in Ballhalla was complaining after that buzzer sounded. Now that’s what I call putting a stamp on the season!
The Valkyries are now just one win away from the WNBA Finals. You know they’re going to come out firing in Game 3, ready to seal the deal and make franchise history. Get ready, because the stakes just got even higher!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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