Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase collapsed on the court late in the fourth quarter of the 77-73 Game 3 win over the Wings on Friday night in the first round of the WNBA playoffs.
asserted
Nakase → collapse → playoffs
The franchise told ESPN that Nakase felt lightheaded and exhausted, and she is expected to coach Game 1 of the semifinals Sunday against the Aces.
asserted
she → tell → Aces
Nakase, 46, coached the team for the remainder of the game, but she did not speak after the victory.
asserted
she → coach → victory
“Natalie’s fine,” assistant coach Kasib Powell said.
asserted
Powell → ’ → ?
“Obviously, it’s a quick turnaround, we play again on Sunday.
asserted
we → ’ → Sunday
She wouldn’t miss it for anything.
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She → miss → anything
“It’s still new to us, we’re just trying to figure it out.
asserted
we → ’ → it
We just know that we seen her afterward and she was fine, laughing, in great spirits.
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she → know → spirits
We’ll figure out more as we go, but I think she’s totally fine.
asserted
she → figure → more
She’s talking, she’s laughing in the back.
asserted
she → talk → back
We look forward to preparing and getting ready for Sunday.”
asserted
We → look → Sunday
With seventh-seeded Dallas leading 72-71 with 1:40 remaining, Nakase talked to a referee when she suddenly fell to the court.
asserted
she → seed → court
Two Valkyries staffers and one of the players came over to check on the coach, whose forearms and knees were on the floor with her head tucked.
asserted
head → come → floor
Nakase eventually started rising, touching her forehead while the staffers aided her to her feet.
asserted
staffers → start → feet
She appeared in pain while she walked toward the bench, grimacing while she again ran her hand over her forehead.
asserted
she → appear → forehead
“Natalie Nakase having some sort of episode on the floor for Golden State,” ESPN play-by-play man Ryan Ruocco said.
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Ruocco → have → play
“Did she slip perhaps, going out onto the floor?”
asserted
she → slip → floor
Nakase resumed her duties despite the scary episode, coaching her team in the huddle.
asserted
Nakase → resume → huddle
“(She) didn’t miss a beat,” Powell said.
asserted
Powell → miss → beat
“We were locked in as that happened.
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that → lock → ?
When she went to the sidelines she drew the next play up, she was in the huddle getting on them about getting a stop.
asserted
she → go → stop
She didn’t skip a beat at all.
asserted
She → skip → beat
We tried to keep our composure and rally around each other and her.”
asserted
We → try → other
The second-seeded Valkyries ultimately scored the next six points — part of an 8-0 run — to rally from a 53-37 third-quarter deficit and secure their first playoff series win in team history in just their second season.
asserted
Valkyries → score → season
“She’s OK, she’s fine,” Golden State guard Gabby Williams said after scoring 19 points.
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Williams → ’ → points
“We just tried to step up ourselves.
asserted
We → try → ?
We’re just happy that she’s OK.”
asserted
she → ’re → ?
Golden State now faces the defending champion Aces in the semifinals after Las Vegas defeated the Fever and superstar Caitlin Clark in three games.
asserted
Vegas → face → games
Game 1 is Sunday in San Francisco at 4 p.m. ET, and the series winner will take on either the eighth-seeded Liberty or the fourth-seeded Dream in the WNBA Finals.
asserted
winner → take → Finals
“That was amazing,” said Tiffany Hayes, who scored 18 points.
asserted
who → say → points
“After all that hard work of fighting and clawing back, doing it with this team, it was amazing. …
asserted
it → fight → team
The Aporia
