WNBA FINALS: DREAM VS. VALKYRIES

October 17, 2026

Natalie Nakase

Golden State Valkyries

Game 1: Postgame

Golden State Valkyries 68, Atlanta Dream 64

Q. You guys did a good job defending Angel in the second half there. What kind of adjustment did you make and did you like what you saw on her defensively?

NATALIE NAKASE: Yeah, I thought L.A. did a fantastic job with that matchup. L.A. had great energy. Again, she was kind of our insight with this game plan, and so you could tell there was a lot of confidence in her matchup.

But again, of course she's going to say it's team defense. It was everyone being on the same string. Just again, calling her number or whether -- it's just getting back in transition, I thought L.A. just did a phenomenal job, and then protecting the rim. She was really key tonight for our success.

Q. Was the physicality of the game what you expected, and also, how is Tiff? She went down really hard late in the game.

NATALIE NAKASE: It was a physical game, we understand, it's playoffs. It's just part of it.

And then Tiff is okay. I just gave her a little hug.

Yeah, she's good. I just gave her a hug and I said, "You know, tough shooting night."

But she's like, "It's only going to get better."

Yeah, she's in good spirits.

Q. What sort of fueled Gabby's second quarter surge to score 16 in that quarter? And she was up here talking about her obsession with math.

NATALIE NAKASE: What's her obsession with math?

Q. Counting. She looks at the clock and counts possession. Is there any anecdote you could share about that?

NATALIE NAKASE: No. I don't do math. I do more like coverages and schemes and seeing people's energy and more connectivity with our group.

That's all Gabby. I'm not that smart. I'm not doing math out there. I didn't do math since the UCLA days.

Q. What about the second quarter surge and offensive impact she made?

NATALIE NAKASE: Yeah, just taking over. Like I said, Gabby is one of our closers.

Being now in at this point in the season in the Finals, Gabby is one of the best players in the world, hands down. She knows that when we needs some buckets. She's out there and willing to get to her spots and take over. I think she's showing it at the perfect time right now, and that's what we need.

Q. Kai's minutes, it wasn't a big statistical night for VB but can you talk about the folks that maybe on the stat sheet aren't going to pop but what they gave you tonight?

NATALIE NAKASE: It's funny because someone asked about Kai earlier and so how important she is. Her engine was on full throttle tonight. I mean, she had emptied the tank the minute she stepped on that floor. You could feel her and you could feel when I took her out, we were missing that.

She led us in rebounds and she led us with 10. Her fight was unmatched tonight and was exactly what we needed. Her composure too on when to punch and when to get to the basket. I thought she did a steady job. She had a crucial three when we needed it.

Kai was our pure remedy tonight. That's what she was.

VB, she's good, too. She got knocked in the nose. She's tough but she kind of -- so I was just making sure she was locked in. She'll run through a wall, probably like five of them. She's good. I'll probably check in with her again, too, when I get in there. Thanks for asking.

Q. Gabby was in here talking about how even when you guys were trailing with just a couple minutes left, she said, we have them right where we wanted them because it's going to come down to stops, that's our bread and butter. In these types of situations, I know we've spent so many hours talking about your guys' defense but just knowing that it's not about hitting that shot but making that stop in these final possessions against that kind of team, how big is it to know that you will rely on that?

NATALIE NAKASE: It kind of just fits into who we are, like that's been our identity. We rely on it. We know it's effort. We know it's the details, and I thought tonight, our staff did a great job calling when to switch the coverage, how to finish the coverage. We did a great job just studying their plays.

So I thought it was really good that we told them in the time-out, this is what we want to do, and then we asked, are you guys in agreement with what you want to do? And then we go out and execute. That's kind of been our philosophy, especially down the stretch in close games, and you could see that it's just kind of here we go again, it's the same thing. So there's a lot of familiarity and composure down the stretch.

Q. Just following up on Tiff, is she good to go? She hit the floor hard and didn't come back. She's good for Game 2?

NATALIE NAKASE: I mean, so far. I gave her a hug. So I'll know probably -- you know, I'll know when the medical tells me.

Q. Is she being evaluated further by medical?

NATALIE NAKASE: I just gave her a hug when I left. She was just getting her normal treatment. I'll know when medical tells me.

I tell you what, she's a fighter, and I don't think there's someone more, maybe our whole team, but she really wants this. You know, I could say, like, I'm going to put a little bit more energy tonight in film because I want to win this for Tiff. I want to. That type of fight tonight was unmatched as well.

Q. When Gabby got landed on by Canada, what was it like to see that, and then after the free throw?

NATALIE NAKASE: Which one? There's a lot of collisions.

Q. Yeah, I think it was -- I don't remember the scores. She was limping up the floor on defense.

NATALIE NAKASE: Okay.

Q. And back when you got the ball.

NATALIE NAKASE: Okay.

Q. Did you think about taking her out? How are you evaluating that? How was she able to gut through that?

NATALIE NAKASE: So that's where the trust comes in with the players. I look at them; are you good? I did that a couple times. Are you good? If not -- again, we have strength in numbers. So we had so many people there ready to go.

It's their call. If they feel they are good, good. Sometimes I have to save them from themselves. So if I see like a double hesitation, that's when I'll pull them. And our medical staff is also the one that's also going to just say, hey, it's time to go.

Q. What has she showed toughness-wise, just making all those free throws?

NATALIE NAKASE: Composure. That's kind of what it's gone down through in terms of the regular season. We weren't very composed early on, and you could see us continuing to build, continuing to build trust in each other, especially coming, too, from the staff in terms of making sure we are organized, so we know what we are going to do towards the end.

That's what was really cool is there was no doubt on who we were going to go to, what play. They were very confident in what we're running.

Q. So the other day, you had your instructions for the fans to be like hostile. Were they hostile enough for your liking?

NATALIE NAKASE: I think so. I think so. Once I get on there and I start to write my notes on the board, I kind of actually block everything out. But I did feel a different roar. So yeah, I was excited. They were really screaming, you know, when they got announced.

So great job but hey, level up, right. Like we've got to go Game 2, it has to be better. We're going to ask more from our players. So I'd say, you know, check for Game 1. Let's get a better Game 2. Rest and recover, Ballhalla. Careful what you drink tonight.

Q. The offense, it felt like there were more flatter spacing looks for you offensively, was that intentional? And what was behind that?

NATALIE NAKASE: Just because they shifted, so either we could slash or slide or empty it. So it just depended on how they shifted. Sometimes they showed shifts and sometimes they didn't. So it's just making sure our players are making the right reads.

Q. Veronica was talking to us about she had a little bit of nerves going into this game but then by the time it settled, pressure, she didn't really feel pressure in these moments. How do you feel the last few games have prepared you for those high-pressure fourth-quarter moments?

NATALIE NAKASE: They have definitely prepared us. Going into overtime with the Aces, coming back from 16 with Dallas, even holding onto the lead in Game 2 versus Aces. I mean, all those moments and game situations, they are definitely building our experience, and more importantly, our composure and more important, clarity on like what we should be running and how we should be executing on both ends.

I love it because, again, it makes them watch more film, too, because again, when we are on the same page, we are pretty confident and we're composed at the same time.