SAN FRANCISCO — Before she became the Golden State Valkyries ’ first head coach in franchise history, Natalie Nakase spent her first three years in the WNBA as an assistant on Becky Hammon’s staff in Las Vegas.

Hammon hired Nakase to her coaching staff when Hammon took the Aces job opening in 2022. Together, they won back-to-back championships for Las Vegas. They were the first WNBA team to win consecutive titles since the Los Angeles Sparks did it in 2001 and 2002.

Aces coach Becky Hammon blasted her team's lack of effort Saturday at Golden State after they dropped their second 20-point loss of the season.