SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase went down to her knees with her head and hands on the court near the team's bench with 1:40 left in a scary moment late in a 77-73 series-winning victory over the Dallas Wings on Friday night.
Nakase was helped up by athletic trainer Katelin Knox. She finished the game but exited the floor immediately following the final escorted by a member of her staff after the final buzzer, with her team celebrating at midcourt.
The team said she was feeling fine afterward, but assistant coach Kasib Powell addressed the media in a postgame news conference where she typically speaks.
“Natalie's fine, obviously it's a quick turnaround, we play again on Sunday. She wouldn't miss it for anything,” Powell said, adding: “It's still new to us, we're just trying to figure it out. We just know that we (saw) her afterward and she was fine, laughing, in great spirits. We'll figure out more as we go but I think she's totally fine, she's talking, she's laughing in the back. We look forward to preparing and getting ready for Sunday.”
The Valkyries will host the defending champion Las Vegas Aces for Game 1 in the best-of-five semifinals.
“She's OK, she's fine,” guard Gabby Williams said. “We just tried to step up ourselves. We’re just happy that she’s OK.”
Golden State rallied from 16 points down to eliminate the Wings in the deciding Game 3 at Chase Center. The 46-year-old Nakase guided the Valkyries to a history-making 2025 season as the first expansion team to make the playoffs in its inaugural season.
Guard Tiffany Hayes said she didn't see Nakase go down, then the coach was right back at it — even successfully winning a challenge.
“Didn't miss a beat," Powell said. "We were locked in as that happened, when she went to the sidelines she drew the next play up, she was in the huddle getting on them about getting a stop, so she didn't skip a beat at all.”
Powell added that the Valkyries kept their composure "and just rally around each other and her."
“We do know that she will be ready for Sunday,” Powell said.
See AP’s full WNBA coverage here
Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase gestures toward players during the first half of Game 3 of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Dallas Wings, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
DALLAS (AP) — Mason McTavish scored only 94 seconds into his first game with the Blues to put them ahead to stay, Joel Hofer stopped 25 shots for his ninth career shutout and St. Louis won 4-0 at Dallas on Friday night in the season opener for both teams.
Dalibor Dvorsky scored in the second period for the Blues before they got empty-netters from Jimmy Snuggerud and Pius Suter in the game's final 2 1/2 minutes.
The 21-year-old Dvorsky had his open shot at the net when goalie Jake Oettinger fell down after getting clipped by teammate Roope Hintz. Oettinger stopped 20 shots.
Dallas lost a season opener for the first time since 2019, ending a six-game winning streak that had been the NHL's longest active streak. The Stars were also shut out in a home opener for the first time since moving to Dallas before the 1993-94 season.
Dallas and St. Louis were among seven teams to play their first game Friday, three nights after the NHL season began.
Hofer had six shutouts in 43 starts for the Blues last season.
McTavish was traded from Anaheim to St. Louis for two first-round picks (Nos. 15 and 29) during the draft in June. He scored the fifth-quickest goal to start a season opener in Blues franchise history.
Blues defenseman Brandon Carlo got a game misconduct for a kneeing penalty early in the third period that sent top-line center Hintz, in his first game since March 6, down to the ice while grabbing at his left knee.
Hintz, who tore his hamstring in two places last season, was moving gingerly when behind helped off the ice, but returned a few minutes later.
Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko left with an apparent right shoulder injury early in the second period after he was hit behind his net by Lian Bichsel and Tyler Seguin.
Both teams play again Saturday. St. Louis is at Colorado, and Dallas plays in Nashville.
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Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) controls the puck in front of St. Louis Blues left wing Pavel Buchnevich (89) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
St. Louis Blues right wing Dalibor Dvorsky (15) skates by his bench after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger defends his net against the St. Louis Blues during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz, right, attacks against St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
St. Louis Blues center Mason McTavish (83) celebrates his first period goal with teammates Theo Lindstein (4), Colton Parayko (55) and Pavel Buchnevich (89) during an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
