SAN FRANCISCO ― The Golden State Valkyries won their first playoff series in franchise history after taking out the Dallas Wings in a 77-73 victory, but there is a focus on head coach Natalie Nakase after a scary moment during the game on Friday night.
During a timeout at the 1:40 mark of the fourth quarter, Nakase fell to the hardwood, appearing to collapse, while having a conversation with an official.
Assistant coaches and medical staff rushed over to see if Nakase was OK. She stayed on the ground for a moment before being helped back to her feet. She held her head as she walked back to the bench with her assistants.
Nakase, though, continued to run the timeout and talk to her team, who didn't seem to notice their head coach's incident.
Nakase coached the remaining portion of the game until the buzzer sounded sealing the Valkyries' victory. After the game, she had another moment where she seemed unwell. Nakase, who went to shake hands with Wings coach Jose Fernandez, was seen rubbing her temple and side of her head as she walked away and needed to be helped by her staff.
This story will be updated when we have more information.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What happened to Natalie Nakase? What we know after Valkyries coach falls to court
