Natalie Nakase college stats: Former UCLA star’s NCAA records, awards and accolades
Natalie Nakase has made a name for herself in men's and women's basketball, previously serving as an assistant coach for the LA Clippers and the Las Vegas Aces.
Her experience earned her the opportunity to become a head coach for the first time, as she will take charge of the WNBA's expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries in the 2025 season.
Before enjoying a steady rise in her coaching career, Nakase played for the UCLA Bruins She received a full scholarship offer from the University of California, Irvine; however, she chose UCLA as it was her dream school.
The start of her college basketball career was far from ideal. She redshirted in the 1998-99 season after she underwent reconstructive surgery in her left knee to repair torn ligaments. She got injured during a "Say No" summer league game in August 1998.
In the 1999-2000 season, Nakase received limited playing time and only played in 11 games. She saw more action in her sophomore season, starting all 29 games. She ranked fifth in the Pac-10 (now Pac-12) in assists per game with 4.45, and in steals with 2.21 a game. She also averaged 4.4 points and 1.9 rebounds to help the Bruins make the NCAA Tournament.
Natalie Nakase enjoyed a breakout junior season with the UCLA Bruins
Nakase's junior season was her best. Although the Bruins failed to make the NCAA Tournament, Nakase emerged as a key part of the backcourt.
She recorded 148 assists, which ranked seventh in the program's all-time list. Nakase was also third in the conference in assists per game (5.1), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.45), ninth in free throw percentage (78.3%) and 10th in steals per game (1.72). She earned an honorable mention in the All-Pac-10 team.
Natalie Nakase closed out her college basketball career in the 2002-03 season with averages of 4.2 points, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 29 appearances. She then embarked on a professional playing career for four seasons from 2005 to 2008, where she played for the San Jose Spiders and the San Diego Siege of the now defunct NWBL, and German team Herner.