Golden State Valkyries coach collapses midgame during WNBA playoffs

Nakase fell to her hands and knees as she was talking to a referee during a timeout in the fourth quarter of the game.Jerome Miron / Imagn via ReutersShareAdd NBC News to GoogleOct. 3, 2026, 10:43 AM EDTBy Matt LavietesGolden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase briefly collapsed on the court during Friday’s playoff win over the Dallas Wings.

Nakase, 46, fell to her hands and knees while speaking with a referee during a fourth-quarter timeout at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Moments later, she was helped to her feet by others and appeared to put her hand to her head.

She coached the rest of the game, Game 3 of the opening round of the WNBA playoffs, and the Valkyries won 77-73. She didn’t speak to reporters afterward, as head coaches are normally expected to.

Assistant coach Kasib Powell, who addressed the media in her place, said Nakase was “fine.”

“Natalie’s fine,” Powell said. “Obviously, it’s a quick turnaround. We play again on Sunday. She wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

“We’ll figure out more as we go, but I think she’s totally fine.” he added. “She’s talking, she’s laughing in the back. We look forward to preparing and getting ready for Sunday.”

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The series winner will advance to the WNBA Finals to face either the eighth-seeded Liberty or the fourth-seeded Dream.

Matt LavietesI’m a reporter on NBC News’ breaking news team, covering crime, extreme weather, pop culture and more. I recently covered Hurricane Milton, which devastated the Tampa, Florida, metropolitan area, and the student-led protests at Columbia University.