Valkyries Wings Basketball

Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase was back on the bench and and well enough to coach her team to a 71-60 Game 1 win in the WNBA semifinals Sunday against Las Vegas after she went down on the sideline two days earlier in the first-round clincher with what she described as exhaustion. The 46-year-old Nakase said she was examined by a doctor during Saturday’s off day ahead of the series opener Sunday and she insists she will be “proactive” with both her health and mental health. She is considering wearing a heart monitor and taking other steps to deal with her extreme work ethic.