25 Facts About Natalie Nakase

Natalie Nakase was later an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association.

Natalie Nakase then won two WNBA championships as an assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and 2023.

Natalie Nakase grew up in Orange County, California, where she was honored as the county's high school player of the year.

Natalie Nakase played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, receiving honorable mention as an all-conference player in the Pacific-10 in 2002.

Natalie Nakase played in Germany before suffering a knee injury and retiring as a player.

Natalie Nakase went into coaching, and served as a head coach of a women's team in Germany before becoming the first female head coach in Japan's top pro men's league.

Natalie Nakase returned to the United States, joining the Clippers of the NBA as a video intern in 2012.

Natalie Nakase became an assistant coach to their NBA G League development team, Agua Caliente, in 2017.

Natalie Nakase became an NBA assistant for the Clippers in 2018, and joined the WNBA's Aces in 2022, when she became the first Asian American coach to win an WNBA title.

Natalie Nakase was born in Anaheim, California, the youngest of three daughters to Gary and Debra Natalie Nakase.

Natalie Nakase grew up in Huntington Beach, California, where she attended Marina High School and was a four-year letterman playing basketball.

Natalie Nakase led the school to two Sunset League titles.

Natalie Nakase averaged 13.9 points and 8.6 assists that season, when she was named the 1998 Orange County Player of the Year by both the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register.

Natalie Nakase finished her career as the Sunset League leader in career assists, and set school records for career assists, steals and three-point field goals made.

Natalie Nakase turned down a full scholarship from the University of California, Irvine to attend her dream school, the University of California, Los Angeles, where she was a walk-on for the UCLA Bruins basketball team.

Natalie Nakase recovered to become a three-year starter at point guard for UCLA, averaging 4.9 points and 3.7 assists per game in her career.

Natalie Nakase played in the NWBL for two seasons, playing with the San Jose Spiders in 2005 and the San Diego Siege in 2006.

Natalie Nakase next went to Japan in hopes of playing, but learned that the Japanese women's league doesn't allow foreign players.

Natalie Nakase then prepared a scouting report for the team's next opponent, which led to a volunteer assistant coaching position under Hill.

Natalie Nakase took over the struggling team midseason after Murray stepped down, and became the first female head coach in the bj league, Japan's top professional men's league.

In September 2012, Natalie Nakase began a yearlong internship in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers, working under the team's video coordinator.

Natalie Nakase was one of 15 women of Asian or Pacific Islander heritage honored at the White House in 2013 as their Champions of Change.

On February 25,2022, Natalie Nakase joined the WNBA as an assistant to the Las Vegas Aces's new head coach, Becky Hammon.

Natalie Nakase and Hammon, who was a long-time San Antonio Spurs assistant coach, had been the NBA's two longest-tenured women coaches.

On September 20,2022, Natalie Nakase became the first Asian American coach to win a WNBA title.