For Natalie Nakase, questions about defending a championship can wait. After guiding the Golden State Valkyries to their first WNBA title, the head coach had something else on her mind: celebrating a historic night with her team. So when she was asked that very question, her blunt response left no doubt.

“Girl!” Nakase exclaimed during the postgame press conference posted to the WNBA YouTube channel when asked about her thoughts on the upcoming title defense season just moments after winning the 2026 championship.

“I just need to get drunk tonight. So let me get there. I ate this morning. I slept… Let’s enjoy the moment.”

She made her statement with Gabby Williams sitting right next to her, clapping and laughing along as she answered the question, clearly in high spirits. The two of them were the clear engineers of Golden State’s Game 7 win.

The Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in their first Game 7 in WNBA history, becoming the first team in league history to do so. The title has come to the Bay Area in just the second season after the franchise joined the league via expansion, becoming the fastest expansion team in American pro sports history since the Super Bowl era in the NFL to win a championship.

Nakase’s adjustments over the series were a big factor in their series win.

The team began the series running Williams, Veronica Burton, Kiah Stokes, Cecilia Zandalasini, and Kayla Thornton in their starting unit. Then, after going down 2-1 to the Dream, Nakase switched out Zandalasini and Thornton for Kaila Charles and Tiffany Hayes, and things got better, eventually culminating in a 3-2 lead and the win in Game 7.

Williams shone in the series decider. Though she started slowly, scoring only two points in the first half, she exploded starting in the third quarter, finishing the game with 30 points and nearly outscoring the Dream completely by herself in the second half. She credited Nakase for encouraging her to keep going.

“Nat told me to stay patient [at halftime], I trust her with my life,” Williams, who was named Finals MVP, said. “I stayed patient.”

Williams also had a major momentum-shifting moment late in the game. With 2:19 on the clock in the fourth and the game tied at 57, Williams hit a long-range three-pointer to take the lead, and Golden State never trailed following that moment.

The connection between the Nakase and Williams showed up after the game as well. The pair were seen celebrating together multiple times as the championship trophy was handed to the team. However, the mood was very different heading into Game 7 for Nakase.

Before the game, Nakase was clear in what she expected from her team, especially with how close the team was to capturing the championship.

“It’s a win-or-die mentality,” she said during a pre-game interview.

“We want to leave everything on the floor, and so play like your life depends on it… Come out aggressive defensively. Follow our defensive game plan, be physical, dictate all their actions, and make sure all their shooters are just out of rhythm. Make sure they’re uncomfortable.”

The Valkyries overcame several statistical patterns to win Game 7. So far, the winner of every game had led at halftime, and the Dream led 30-24 at halftime. The Dream have also won every game this season where Angel Reese knocked down at least one three, having won 16 such games.

Each previous game was also won by the team that scored more points off turnovers. In Game 7, the Valkyries scored just seven off giveaways compared to the Dream’s 12.

Regardless, for Nakase, the immediate aftermath of a historic championship isn’t about next season’s title defense or what the team can accomplish next. After making history, she is only focused on celebrating what they have accomplished together. Any other conversation will have to wait.

The post “Need To Get Drunk Tonight”: Natalie Nakase Offers No Filter in Front of Reporters Following Valkyries’ Historic Win appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.