“We’re Resilient. We’ve Done It Before.” — Nakase on Fighting Back in the Finals

Head Coach Natalie Nakase spoke after Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, a 97-71 loss in Atlanta that gives the Dream a 2-1 series lead, and opened with a message of resilience. Nakase reminded everyone that the Valkyries have been down before, fighting back from 17 points and from 16 in Dallas, and called the Finals a longer series that the team will treat like a long game. She took accountability for the loss and said she needs to figure out a couple of different schemes.

On turnovers, Nakase said the team tried to adjust but still had too many, and they need to be more composed when attacking, keep trusting each other, and keep moving the ball. She said players sometimes put a lot on their own shoulders because they want to do what is right for the team. With a double dose of film coming- individual, group, and team- the staff will be a lot more detailed.

Nakase also pointed to the defense, saying the shifts, communication, and rotations were uncharacteristic, and that she wants to listen to players individually to see whether the game plan is confusing and how she can be clearer. She said the will and the want to are there, but the team needs to fight together and punch together. She also explained her technical foul, saying she was trying to protect her players who were getting laid out on the floor and wants to see quality basketball at a competitive Finals.

Nakase praised Janelle Salaün’s spacing, shooting, and physical defense as a nice spark, and explained the plan of picking up Jordin Canada higher with different bodies to keep legs fresh. She said she will look closely at her substitution patterns after the Valkyries came out punching in the third quarter. With two days before Game 4, the staff will plan with the medical team for each player, and Nakase said she is a fighter who is excited to dive into film, stay curious, and build a better game plan to win the next game.

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Golden State Valkyries | WNBA | Press Conference | Natalie Nakase, Janelle Salaün | Atlanta Dream | 2026

00:00 — A Long Series and Taking Accountability
00:24 — Turnovers and Composure When Attacking
01:40 — Defensive Rotations and Listening to the Players
02:26 — Fighting Together and the Third Quarter Punches
05:07 — Game 4 Preparation and Medical Planning
06:42 — Janelle Salaün’s Spark and the Matchup Plan
08:01 — Managing Emotions and the Technical Foul