Natalie Nakase has always loved basketball—and she’s built a successful career on that passion. After playing professionally for a few years, she became a head coach overseas, but eventually moved back to the U.S. with the dream of coaching in the NBA. Over the next decade, Nakase climbed the ranks from video intern to assistant coach for the Clippers. From there, she became the assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces, leading the team to two championship victories. Now, she’s embarking on a new role as the head coach of the Golden State Valkyries, a brand-new WNBA team. In this episode, we discuss what it’s been like for Natalie to be the “first” so many times in her career, why she accepted an internship in her 30s, and the symbolic reason she wears all-black outfits on game days.

And just like that, season 2 is wrapped! See you next season for more nice talks!

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