UCLA Alum Natalie Nakase Is Making History in the WNBA

Natalie Nakase grew up in Huntington Beach, California, and played basketball at UCLA. Now she is one of the most talked-about coaches in the WNBA. She leads the Golden State Valkyries, and her team is having an amazing playoff run. Nakase has shown that hard work and passion can take you a long way in sports.

Nakase made headlines when she collapsed on the sideline during a playoff game from exhaustion. Her former mentor, Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon, said it was scary to watch but was relieved when Nakase got right back up. Hammon said the pressure of coaching at this time of year is very real, and coaches often lose sleep and forget to eat well. Nakase wore a heart monitor when she returned to coach the next game.

After the scare, Nakase said she is doing fine but is taking her health more seriously. Her father had told her years ago never to let her career hurt her health. She called the moment a 'wake-up call' and said she is now focused on self-care. Even so, she led the Valkyries to a 71-60 win over Las Vegas in Game 1 of the playoffs.

Nakase's basketball journey started at UCLA, where she was a walk-on — a player who joins the team without a scholarship. She had turned down a scholarship from UC Irvine to try her luck with the Bruins. She worked her way up to become a starter and team captain. She finished her career ranked 10th in UCLA history with 358 assists.

Her high school coach, Pete Bonny, said Nakase always had a fierce attitude and never backed down from a challenge. 'She has that intensity but with a smile on her face,' Bonny said. 'From the get-go, this is who she is.' That attitude has stayed with her throughout her coaching career. Assistant coach Landon Tatum said her ability to make quick adjustments during games has been the biggest reason for her success.

In her very first year as a WNBA head coach, Nakase led the Valkyries to the playoffs, something no expansion team had ever done before. She won the WNBA Coach of the Year award for that achievement. This season, the Valkyries finished with the second-best record in the league. After the top seed was knocked out early, Golden State earned home-court advantage for the rest of the playoffs.

Another UCLA star, Jordin Canada, is also shining in the WNBA playoffs. Canada scored 25 points to help her Atlanta Dream beat the New York Liberty 92-82 in Game 1 of the semifinals. She also had five steals and played a huge role on defense. Atlanta scored 32 points off turnovers, tying an all-time WNBA playoff record.

On the football side, Oregon coach Dan Lanning compared the UCLA Bruins to Indiana, last year's national champion. His quarterback, Dante Moore, suffered a concussion after a hit by a USC player in their last game. Moore has been cleared to travel but is being watched closely as he recovers. Lanning said Oregon still has a lot of work to do before they are ready to face the Bruins.

The No. 1 UCLA men's water polo team had a mixed weekend of results. The Bruins lost 19-15 to No. 2 Stanford on Saturday but bounced back to beat No. 4 California 13-11 on Sunday. Junior Ryder Dodd starred in the win over Cal with five goals and three assists. UCLA will host two more teams this weekend before a big match at No. 3 USC on October 17.