December 11, 2024 • 29 mins
This week Khristina is joined by Golden State Valkyries President Jess Smith, General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin, and Head Coach Natalie Nakase. The trio discuss building a basketball brand from the ground up, assembling the right team through the expansion draft, and their five-year plan for winning a championship.
Want more women’s basketball scoop? Follow the show on Instagram @ICYMIwithKW and X @ICYMIwithKW and for more on Khristina follow her on Instagram @khristinawilliams
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CREDITS
Executive Producers:
Nikki Ettore
Jessie Katz
Tyler Klang
Jonathan Strickland
Producer:
Mike Coscarelli
Producer & Editor:
Tari Harrison
Host:
Khristina Williams
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams is an
iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports
and Entertainment. Welcome back to another episode of In Case
You Missed It with Christina Williams here on iHeartRadio, and
I am super excited about this week's guests. We are
(00:23):
on the heels of the WNBA expansion drafta just passed
last week, so joining me this week for the show
is General manager ohemma Ennen, head coach Natalie mccasse, and
President of the Golden State Valkyries Jess Smith. Welcome to
the show, ladies.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
I love that personally. Have you all been enjoying New
York City so far?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Yes, it's been about twelve hours for me, but I
love I love it here this time of year, right,
the Christmas decorations are everywhere.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
It's beautiful, it's cold.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
It's cold. Are you used to this? Right?
Speaker 4 (01:02):
I am, But I didn't realize the Cali sun is
a thing?
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Yeah? And Natalie, what is what has it been like
for you?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Well, when we come here, we always have really good dinners,
so I can't wait for our fifteenth dinner.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I love that all right, So I want to just
dive right into things right now. What was the moment
for each of you where you knew you wanted to
be a part of the Golden State Valkyries organization.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Yeah, the moment I knew, Can I say when they
offered me? I think, you know, throughout the interview process,
I got to meet a lot of really good people,
and at every moment I was like, oh, like, I'm
(01:48):
not leaving an organization of you know, five years of
relationships for just anybody. And they did a really good
job of making sure that real stakeholder that I would
ever come into contact with was a part of the
interview process, and that just made it kind of like
an easy yes.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
For me, it was really meeting with Joe and Peter,
our owners. And Toohamma's point, there's so many talented people
at Golden State. It's really apparent the minute you start
meeting people that these are good people that want to
do great things and then want to do that together.
But the level up that you get from talking to
Joe and Peter specifically and their passion for what they're building.
(02:30):
They are relentless in winning, like it is they say
that you hear it and things like this, but when
you're in the room with them, you can tell how
genuine that is. And for me, what I really appreciated
about that is they are storied, successful human beings and
everything they do, especially sports. And to sit down and
see the curiosity they had with me about how to
build women's sports and not necessarily to replicate what they've
(02:52):
built with the Warriors, I thought was just astounding. And
so to see how do we do this, but do
it the way that these fans deserve and what they've
been waiting for versus just trying to replicate what was
done with the Warriors was the minute I knew this
was going to be special.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Yeah. I mean ditto the backside story. For me, when
I was with the Clippers back in the day, I've
always kind of low key dreamed to work for Golden
State just because of all the history of the winning
and multiple championships. Especially when Joe took over, it was like, gosh,
I really want to I want to win some And
then having conversation with Joe and then my final really
(03:28):
decision was when Ohema called me and we literally had
a great conversation and we met just a couple times before,
Like we really weren't that close, but just our like
quick dinners, her genuine feel of a person, like you
have a sit down lunch or dinner with her, she
makes you feel like her best friend. And so I
think I knew like because of that, Caro, I was
(03:49):
in really good hands.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Just you've had a hand in helping launch sports teams
before an Angel City FC. Are there any similarities between
helping to launch you know, that team versus a WNBA
expansion team.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Yeah, I'm real tired all the time, honest answer. I
learned a ton with Angel City. I was so fortunate
to be surrounded by that group of people that at
that point in time was willing to build something that
had never been done before, willing to take a mindset
of it's not about can we sell four thousand tickets,
it's can we build this to sell out games? And
(04:22):
that mentality and understanding that the community shows up if
you build something the right way was an incredible confidence
to come into this group to build it with. But
what I've really learned in women's sports and what the
fans demand is that you are genuine right. You have
to be very intentional about what you're building, how you're
building it, who you're building it with, and they can
sniff out if that's not real. And we have to
(04:43):
be bold and we have to you know, be honest,
you know, throughout this journey on what's hard and what's right,
and that's what they want from us, and so you
have to be vulnerable. And I've really just learned to
be truthful with our fans and community and with that
they show up tenfold, you know, and they're going to
be with us on this journey, but they can trust
that we want what they want and it's a really
(05:03):
shared experience, which is really special.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Oh, Emma, you mentioned the five years you spent with
the New York Liberty, who recently won the w NBA Championship.
What have you taken with you from your time with
the New York Liberty under Jonathan Cole that you're going
to bring with you to this organization.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Relationships matter, I think very specifically, if you invest in
these athletes, they'll invest in you. And investing in these
athletes is not just with money, right, it's understanding who
they are, where they came from, what they're trying to
(05:41):
go to and how we can be, you know, active
participants in a mutual journey. I would say somebody that
I don't highlight a bunch is Kia Clark. She is
a phenomenally phenomenal human who just always lended an ear
(06:06):
to say, you know, you can do this better or
you're doing an amazing job in this aspect. But just
her gentle care was something that I am definitely going
to bring over here as well. And then just understanding
kind of what this organization is going to be in
(06:29):
terms of the Golden Save Valkyries and having just be
my partner in crime. Learning from Kia, I know that
I'm in exceptional hands with Jess because they say the
same things, they have the same demeanor. They're both really
unapologetic about women in sports and.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Like our platform.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Natalie, you're coming from the two time w NBA Chance,
two time.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
The Las Vegas.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Aces, where you served as first here on the assistant
head coach next to Becky Hammond. So what have you
learned coaching those players and what sort of identity and
team culture do you want to create with the Golden
State Valkyries.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
I learned that they are crazy. No, I mean those
two championships but the years I spent there, I mean,
I'm never going to forget them. I always talked about
Becky opening her heart and being you know, allowing everyone
to be their authentic self. That the players did the
same thing. Like there is so much genuine love amongst
those players and myself and the staff, Like you know,
(07:33):
it was very, very hard to leave. But what I'm
going to take is just again We've been saying it
over and over, the genuine care investing in people. I mean,
that's really the key to success, just because understanding team
chemistry is really huge in winning championships, So building that camaraderie,
building that really competitive culture we've talked about, but also
(07:54):
always staying connected.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
When I think about the Valkyries team name, I want
to know where did this name originate? Jess, and were
there any names that got left off the list that
you can tell us?
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Are there any that you think would have been better?
I'm going to put that back real quickly.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
I love the pressure of me.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I love the team name and the colors and the
identity that you all up bringing.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
But back to you, yeah, I was a journalism majors.
It's not as I get that in I love that right. No,
it was the first step of really listening to our fans.
And so the San Francisco Chronicle, right after the team
was announced, where the rights were given to this ownership group,
ran a article that said what should the team name be?
And this was not a drop down box circle C
(08:38):
versus D. This was a write in name and twenty
five percent one in four people wrote in the Belcrease
so very candidly. That really put it on the radar
from day one. There were a lot of things in
the mix, but that one kept coming back to the top,
and when you would read through, yes we do sometimes
read the forums, you know, the different comments of how
people identified with that. It was really beautiful to see
(09:00):
the strength and femininity that they wanted it to bring
under the Golden State brand that complemented the Warriors, but
was uniquely its own right. So it just kept coming
to the forefront and then we had the opportunity to
make it what it is today, which as you see,
we're not blueing gold. We really lean into that valkyrie violet.
We want this color to be ours, even if you
don't see our logo with it, and we can't be
(09:21):
happier with how it's turned out in our fans response
to it.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Listen, I did see Steph Curry show up.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
To a game right in the player society.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Here, so I definitely need some mercha. Oh him Back
to you. You just completed the w NBA Expansion draft.
Can you just talk about the approach to your strategy
in drafting the eleven players that you selected.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
Yeah, that was outside of hiring coach and a case.
That was the number one thing on my mind, which
was who were these athletes? We watched it a lot
of film. We've all become experts in spreadsheets. That's like
the running joke. Now I'm kind of hoping that I'll
(10:08):
get more learning around it, but candidly that we knew
probably top four five athletes that most likely would get protected.
And so then the question was if they didn't protect
player A or B, would they fit into coach and
(10:29):
a Casse's system, yes or no? If yes, then why?
If no, then why? And so we just did this
whole ransom repeat. Come in, have a conversation, team by team,
player by player, discuss, go watch film, come back, and
(10:49):
we did that for a really long time. We had
a lot of very passionate conversations because we wanted to
make sure that we were battle tested when we were
asked about why we picked player A or player C.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
And I think.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
This entire process showed us that number One, we care.
Number two, we will do our homework to make sure
that we're competitive not just on the court but amongst
each other. And three, you know, constructive feedback is always
(11:27):
going to be harsher from within them externally and.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Happily for you. What did that collaboration look like on
frapt Night.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Our collaboration m hm, oh gosh, you're still sitting here.
I was in the middle. I mean, we've been collaborating.
I think the moment I got hired, we went for
a celebration dinner, and the collaboration was real. It was fun.
And what I noticed as I learned more and more
from Jess and o'hemma and you know, valling in behind
(11:57):
behind scenes, Kimberly, we all be great in our position.
And I'm not talking great, I'm like saying the best.
And I think when you're surrounded by greatness, like they
motivate me even more.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
So.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
That's what I've started to learn, is like, yeah, we're collaborating,
but we're pushing each other, and I think that's really good.
What's going to set us apart from other organizations? Okay,
I have.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
So many questions about the roster makeup. Seven of the
eleven players are have international experience. Was that intentional to
select players with that type of experience.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
No, it wasn't intentional. I would say, we really just
looked at the athletes for who they are, and then
it just happened to be seven out of eleven have
international ties. What I will say is, you know, in uh,
the different drafts that we had amongst ourselves, you know,
(12:52):
some were post heavy, some were guard heavy, some were
a mixture of the two. And so every day once
we came up with like our this was this is
what the Valkyries will look like, we then had to say, well,
if nothing else happened, could we play basketball in the
way that coach that wants to play? And so that's
(13:15):
what kind of brought us back and forth. I love
that we get to highlight these seven athletes that rain
from a different country outside of the United States, because
the globalization of this sport doesn't get talked about as much,
and these athletes deserve to be put on this platform
(13:39):
to be able to you know, shine and so I think, yeah,
we're really excited about it.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Jess. One of my favorite parts about the draft was
just seeing all of the different people come together to
introduce the players, whether it was Baron Davis eight forty,
I think that you all did such a great job
and bring in the community together. What ways do you
plan to continue to engage the community and the fans
and the Valkyrie's identity.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Well, first, thank you for noticing you know that intentionality
is really important to our entire team, right we have
a lot of people, as coach Natalie mentioned, working behind
the scenes to think about things like that and make
sure we're representing the different people that are following what
we do. And that's really the main piece, Like we
want to think through what does this feel like for
everybody as they're watching this and seeing our brand identified.
(14:40):
It's important, right, Like how they see people show up
that are wearing Valkyrie's gear and speaking on our behalf
is a really big moment for us. So it's just
about making sure we're growing that base. You know, we
hope and we know obviously now that we have Michelle,
we West, Dannie forty and barn As fans. You know,
we want many other people to join what we're doing
and be able to speak about it. But it was
a bit moment for us for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Yeah, and I loved, like before launched the block parties
and just getting the community actively engaged in getting excited
about that.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
My three and five year old's first concert was pel
Klani and I was like, Okay, this is who you are.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
You are the area.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Yeah, exactly, So I think I nailed parenting that day.
So if I've done nothing else, I expose them to
the right folks.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
But there's this question to Natalie and Ohima. With WNBA
free agency coming up, and of course the w NBAH
draft where you all have the number five pick in
each of the rounds, how do you prioritize the short
term goals of the team and the roster versus the
long swim team goals? Knowing that also another expansion draft
(15:44):
will be coming in twenty twenty five for the twenty
twenty six teams.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
Yeah, mister Joe has said that we need to win
the championship. He put a timeline by it and then
made a joke during the expansion draft we could do it.
Maybe we could do it in less time. So the
goal is always to organically create a winning culture, and
(16:11):
how we do that, we're kind of keeping close to
the vest. But the Bay has been hungry for a
w NBA team for a very long time, and the
three of us are sitting here because we understand the
assignment and we want to make sure that every day
we're not leaving any stone unturned to put the best
(16:34):
competitive group of women on court and also make the
case that you should invest in women sports.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Yeah. So my first conversation with Joe Laika, as you said,
like we're winning in five years. That's the deal. That's
what you sign up for. So right away, I mean
I'm motivated, right, and so a lot I've been getting
a lot of questions of like what does the first
season look like for you? I want to win every game.
I mean I don't want to go into the locker
room and say hey to my players like yeah, maybe
(17:06):
we'll win or yeah maybe we'll lose. No, Like, my
mindset is going into every game preparing us to the
best of our ability, and we want to win every game.
And that's the mindset that I want our players to have.
So to me, that success is when we prepare them
and we go out there and compete and be battle
tested like we've been talking about. That to me is success.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
When you look at the roster makeup of this group,
how would you say it blends well with your coach
and style.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
So if you watched all of these eleven players, like
you can't take your eyes off the fact that they
play so hungry, Like they are hungry. They play like
their life depends on it. Like I can go down
the line from Kayla to Kate Martin to Xander Lassini
to Conde for those you know that you know haven't
seen Conde play, But they play so hard and that's
what you want, like from the from the jump to
(17:56):
the end, and then their ability to space the floor
and more importantly as you watch them even closer, they're
high IQ like they have a very good high IQ.
And I'm going to throw on this too high character
like they're just really really great people.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
I throw this to all of you. What's been the
most surprising or challenging part about being able to start
up a new WNBA team from each of your perspectives
and roles.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
I mean, for me, we talked about how much we
all care about this. That's a weight right every day
you wake up every day motivated, but with a specific
timeline that on Friday, May sixteenth, Chase Center will be open.
We will be playing the La sparks, our fans will
be showing up, the world will be watching. What does
that feel like? And that is such a privileged opportunity
(18:42):
to have a chance to work towards something you truly
believe is making this world a better place and representative
of what these incredible athletes deserve and have deserved for
a long time. And it's heavy because you want to
get it right so much. So I think the opportunity
and the difficulty is I think as any leader that
manages anything can tell you like you just carry that
(19:04):
with you, and you carry that stress that you can
see and everybody around you with you as well.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
Yeah, I would say to Biggie back off of that,
there is no blueprint. We're creating the blueprint, and so
I think we're highly selective first and foremost of the
people that we hire to bring into our organization. So
don't ask me any hiring questions because I'm going to be.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Very negative about that.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
And because there's no blueprint we want to make sure
that how we're laying down the foundation of how other
expansion teams can do it, not only in the w
but also in any other sport. We collectively don't give
each other grace, and we need to continue to do
(19:50):
that in order to understand the heaviness that we elected
to be a part of on a daily basis.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Yes, you might think I'm a little sick in the head,
but I love challenges. I kind of been taught since
a young age to take more of the tough road.
So I love challenges. I'm embracing it. I love proving
people wrong. So for those of people who don't think
that we can win in five years, like, please keep
telling me that, because that's only going to add field
my fire. So yeah, I'm excited, not more looking at
(20:22):
the challenge.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
When you think about rounding out your coaching staff, what
types of characteristics for who do you have in mind?
I know that with a lot of the recent hires
in the w NBA, a lot of organizations, I've been
leaning towards college coaches or looking at the NBA for hiring.
What is that process looking like for you right now?
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Like I just mentioned a little sick in head. Dallas
was sick in the head, you know. No, I'm just
being and self aware. Yeah. No, genuine people, that's from
the top. Again, I've learned that from Becky Hammond. She
gave me the opportunity. She opened her heart when I
was in a very very tough time, you know, losing
my dad, and she just opened her heart and her
(21:03):
home to me. And so I feel that when you
do that, you can get the best out of your players.
So genuineness comes from the top. And then I think
a little crazy, a little crazy, and then obviously just
attention to detail and a constant learner. That's the keys
for me.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Are you close to finding some of those assistant coaches.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Yeah, We've been doing a lot of interviewing, which is
the process. Like I think, having a long process and
being thorough because again, I don't want to miss on
this opportunity to get a great fit. Because I think
the coaches, as much as they get along, we're going
to be pouring into the players. So we're actually the
full leaders of our team. You know, it's just not
just me, it's just my whole coaching staff. So I
(21:43):
want to pick the right people.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Non basketball related question, what excites to you the most
about just being in the Bay Area. Why should w
NBA fans be excited?
Speaker 3 (21:54):
I mean, it's so representative of the culture in the Bay.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
Right.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
The Bay is where everyone looks to what comes next
in this world, right technology, innovation, how we treat people, representation,
and so to have that vibe and when you're in
the Bay, you know, we mentioned some of the great
musical artists you know that are with us too. But
there's a grit to the Bay that is undeniable. And
there's a little bit of that side smirk that if
you don't know about the Bay, you're going to know
(22:18):
about the Bay. We might not be as big, but
we're going to be as strong, right you might You're
going to know who we are, you know, in a
really big way. And so for me, I just I've
lived in the b area on and off for almost
twenty years now. It's home for me for sure. And
I also personally love that we have roots in Oakland
and San Francisco, you know, to be able to span
both cities as well, it's super special.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
I'm on the East coast gurly, so this I'm still
trying to figure it out. I think what I love
is the passion people are just all in. To have
twenty thousand people standing in line to get season tickets.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Wow, congratulations.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
By the way, it's team and team, prior to myself
hiring a head coach, prior to our athletes being announced,
prior to playing a basketball game.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
That passion, you can't buy it. Like you there's no
other place that is going to unapologetically, And I think
the word that I'm looking for is authentically like be
behind our team, and that just makes us want to
(23:39):
work even harder.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Yeah, so I would say invested. I was walking yesterday
down the street to go grab coffee in San Francisco,
and I was wearing my Vockeries, you know, hoodie because
they hooked me up. So I'm down and a gentleman
was hey hey. He's like, are you the coach of
the Valkyeries And I'm like yeah, and he goes all right,
like I'm right, So I kept walking. He goes hey,
(24:01):
he goes, you got a game today?
Speaker 3 (24:03):
And I was like do I have a game?
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Because I was like, wait, do I have a game today?
But no, I mean I just checked. I was like,
holy crap, don't have a came but just investment, right, like,
just invested the buy in. I mean it's already there.
So I think that's what I'm really excited about.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Looking ahead to the Aull Girl season, you open up
against the Los Angeles Sparks on May sixteenth. We just
talked about what's exciting about the Bay Area and twenty
thousand fans season ticket holders as well. What excites you
the most about just tipping off May sixteenth against a
legacy team like the Sparks.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
I haven't thought about it, to be quite honest. I
think there's a lot of work to be done, and
that's okay. Like I I think as I get closer
to it, you know, we we still have to put.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Our full team together.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
We have free agency coming up, we have the collegiate
draft coming up, and then we have training camp and
the goal is to have the most competitive training camp.
We want these athletes to be hungry, excited, and I
(25:32):
would say probably like honored to be able to put
on a Valkyrie's jersey, right Like, for the first time
ever in a really long time. You get to put
on a jersey that nobody else has put on. You
get to have your first number there's so many firsts
that are going to come along the way, and I
think that we as a front office and the business
(25:52):
team can like lean in on that.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
So now I have a hard question for you.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Here we go, Here we go.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Agency is coming up, and of course you all did
not select a player from the Seattle Storm. However, has
been reported that Jewel Lloyd requested a trade. Now, I
know you're not gonna tell me your strategy here on
the show.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Right about that, let's start there.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Kelsey Mitchell is also a player who says she's open
to exploring free agency. True guard to you know, big.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Names can play basketball.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Yeah, is anything going to be ruled off the table
when it comes to those sort of players in free agency?
Speaker 4 (26:33):
We're open to all players, to be quite honest, like that,
our non negotiables have stayed the same, and as coach
Natalie described, we're looking for competitive individuals first and foremost,
we want them to be connected. This is the first
time everybody's gonna put on a jersey and go on right.
(26:56):
To build versus to win. Building sometimes has a negative
connotation that like, if you're in build mode, that means
you're losing games. And we are going to change that
mindset and that definition. So to answer your question without
answering your question, stay dumned, you.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
Will be keeping on us on it. Jest for you.
You all are expected to unveil your new practice facility
sometime next year, and we've seen how important that is
to attract free agents. Why is Golden State a place
where athletes should look to play?
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Yeah, that's my job is to make sure we can
do as much as we can on the commercial side
to support the atmosphere that Ohamma and coach Natalie want
to build. So for us, you know, they can speak
more to attracting the free agents, but for us, it's
about making sure that we have elite facilities that our
players can be their best selves in and making sure
(27:56):
that it's representative of the brand that all of us
have come to the table with a lot of work
and thought behind, so that whether it's those players walking in,
you know, somebody from the media walking in, somebody coming
in for a youth clinic, that they feel what the
valkyries are you know, inside Chase Center and inside Oakland
as well.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Well. I'd like to add, like when we have invest
in you know, the resources like we've talked about like
we also care about the longevity of their career. So
Joe is not only like just having a facility. It's
like the treatment rooms. It's a therapy, it's the mental therapy,
it's everything. It's all the layers who's thinking about because
we don't want just the players to just come in
and have like a season, like we want them to
(28:33):
make it their home. And I think that's what we're
talking about intentionality with how we build things and.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
All that note, I want to thank you all for
joining us this week on In Case you missed It
with Christina Williams here on iHeartRadio. It's been such a
pleasure and I'm looking forward to May sixteenth, but most
importantly what you all do in free agency. Of course,
thank you, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
I just want to thank jess Ohemma and Natalie again
for stopping by to the show this week. Don't forget
to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast, and we'll
be back here next week on In Case you missed
It with Christina Williams here on iHeartRadio. In Case you
missed It with Christina Williams is an iHeart women's sports
(29:23):
production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You
can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts.
In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams is an
iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports
and Entertainment. Welcome back to another episode of In Case
You Missed It with Christina Williams here on iHeartRadio, and
I am super excited about this week's guests. We are
(00:23):
on the heels of the WNBA expansion drafta just passed
last week, so joining me this week for the show
is General manager ohemma Ennen, head coach Natalie mccasse, and
President of the Golden State Valkyries Jess Smith. Welcome to
the show, ladies.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
I love that personally. Have you all been enjoying New
York City so far?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Yes, it's been about twelve hours for me, but I
love I love it here this time of year, right,
the Christmas decorations are everywhere.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
It's beautiful, it's cold.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
It's cold. Are you used to this? Right?
Speaker 4 (01:02):
I am, But I didn't realize the Cali sun is
a thing?
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Yeah? And Natalie, what is what has it been like
for you?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Well, when we come here, we always have really good dinners,
so I can't wait for our fifteenth dinner.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I love that all right, So I want to just
dive right into things right now. What was the moment
for each of you where you knew you wanted to
be a part of the Golden State Valkyries organization.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Yeah, the moment I knew, Can I say when they
offered me? I think, you know, throughout the interview process,
I got to meet a lot of really good people,
and at every moment I was like, oh, like, I'm
(01:48):
not leaving an organization of you know, five years of
relationships for just anybody. And they did a really good
job of making sure that real stakeholder that I would
ever come into contact with was a part of the
interview process, and that just made it kind of like
an easy yes.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
For me, it was really meeting with Joe and Peter,
our owners. And Toohamma's point, there's so many talented people
at Golden State. It's really apparent the minute you start
meeting people that these are good people that want to
do great things and then want to do that together.
But the level up that you get from talking to
Joe and Peter specifically and their passion for what they're building.
(02:30):
They are relentless in winning, like it is they say
that you hear it and things like this, but when
you're in the room with them, you can tell how
genuine that is. And for me, what I really appreciated
about that is they are storied, successful human beings and
everything they do, especially sports. And to sit down and
see the curiosity they had with me about how to
build women's sports and not necessarily to replicate what they've
(02:52):
built with the Warriors, I thought was just astounding. And
so to see how do we do this, but do
it the way that these fans deserve and what they've
been waiting for versus just trying to replicate what was
done with the Warriors was the minute I knew this
was going to be special.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Yeah. I mean ditto the backside story. For me, when
I was with the Clippers back in the day, I've
always kind of low key dreamed to work for Golden
State just because of all the history of the winning
and multiple championships. Especially when Joe took over, it was like, gosh,
I really want to I want to win some And
then having conversation with Joe and then my final really
(03:28):
decision was when Ohema called me and we literally had
a great conversation and we met just a couple times before,
Like we really weren't that close, but just our like
quick dinners, her genuine feel of a person, like you
have a sit down lunch or dinner with her, she
makes you feel like her best friend. And so I
think I knew like because of that, Caro, I was
(03:49):
in really good hands.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Just you've had a hand in helping launch sports teams
before an Angel City FC. Are there any similarities between
helping to launch you know, that team versus a WNBA
expansion team.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Yeah, I'm real tired all the time, honest answer. I
learned a ton with Angel City. I was so fortunate
to be surrounded by that group of people that at
that point in time was willing to build something that
had never been done before, willing to take a mindset
of it's not about can we sell four thousand tickets,
it's can we build this to sell out games? And
(04:22):
that mentality and understanding that the community shows up if
you build something the right way was an incredible confidence
to come into this group to build it with. But
what I've really learned in women's sports and what the
fans demand is that you are genuine right. You have
to be very intentional about what you're building, how you're
building it, who you're building it with, and they can
sniff out if that's not real. And we have to
(04:43):
be bold and we have to you know, be honest,
you know, throughout this journey on what's hard and what's right,
and that's what they want from us, and so you
have to be vulnerable. And I've really just learned to
be truthful with our fans and community and with that
they show up tenfold, you know, and they're going to
be with us on this journey, but they can trust
that we want what they want and it's a really
(05:03):
shared experience, which is really special.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Oh, Emma, you mentioned the five years you spent with
the New York Liberty, who recently won the w NBA Championship.
What have you taken with you from your time with
the New York Liberty under Jonathan Cole that you're going
to bring with you to this organization.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Relationships matter, I think very specifically, if you invest in
these athletes, they'll invest in you. And investing in these
athletes is not just with money, right, it's understanding who
they are, where they came from, what they're trying to
(05:41):
go to and how we can be, you know, active
participants in a mutual journey. I would say somebody that
I don't highlight a bunch is Kia Clark. She is
a phenomenally phenomenal human who just always lended an ear
(06:06):
to say, you know, you can do this better or
you're doing an amazing job in this aspect. But just
her gentle care was something that I am definitely going
to bring over here as well. And then just understanding
kind of what this organization is going to be in
(06:29):
terms of the Golden Save Valkyries and having just be
my partner in crime. Learning from Kia, I know that
I'm in exceptional hands with Jess because they say the
same things, they have the same demeanor. They're both really
unapologetic about women in sports and.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Like our platform.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Natalie, you're coming from the two time w NBA Chance,
two time.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
The Las Vegas.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Aces, where you served as first here on the assistant
head coach next to Becky Hammond. So what have you
learned coaching those players and what sort of identity and
team culture do you want to create with the Golden
State Valkyries.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
I learned that they are crazy. No, I mean those
two championships but the years I spent there, I mean,
I'm never going to forget them. I always talked about
Becky opening her heart and being you know, allowing everyone
to be their authentic self. That the players did the
same thing. Like there is so much genuine love amongst
those players and myself and the staff, Like you know,
(07:33):
it was very, very hard to leave. But what I'm
going to take is just again We've been saying it
over and over, the genuine care investing in people. I mean,
that's really the key to success, just because understanding team
chemistry is really huge in winning championships, So building that camaraderie,
building that really competitive culture we've talked about, but also
(07:54):
always staying connected.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
When I think about the Valkyries team name, I want
to know where did this name originate? Jess, and were
there any names that got left off the list that
you can tell us?
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Are there any that you think would have been better?
I'm going to put that back real quickly.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
I love the pressure of me.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I love the team name and the colors and the
identity that you all up bringing.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
But back to you, yeah, I was a journalism majors.
It's not as I get that in I love that right. No,
it was the first step of really listening to our fans.
And so the San Francisco Chronicle, right after the team
was announced, where the rights were given to this ownership group,
ran a article that said what should the team name be?
And this was not a drop down box circle C
(08:38):
versus D. This was a write in name and twenty
five percent one in four people wrote in the Belcrease
so very candidly. That really put it on the radar
from day one. There were a lot of things in
the mix, but that one kept coming back to the top,
and when you would read through, yes we do sometimes
read the forums, you know, the different comments of how
people identified with that. It was really beautiful to see
(09:00):
the strength and femininity that they wanted it to bring
under the Golden State brand that complemented the Warriors, but
was uniquely its own right. So it just kept coming
to the forefront and then we had the opportunity to
make it what it is today, which as you see,
we're not blueing gold. We really lean into that valkyrie violet.
We want this color to be ours, even if you
don't see our logo with it, and we can't be
(09:21):
happier with how it's turned out in our fans response
to it.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Listen, I did see Steph Curry show up.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
To a game right in the player society.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Here, so I definitely need some mercha. Oh him Back
to you. You just completed the w NBA Expansion draft.
Can you just talk about the approach to your strategy
in drafting the eleven players that you selected.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
Yeah, that was outside of hiring coach and a case.
That was the number one thing on my mind, which
was who were these athletes? We watched it a lot
of film. We've all become experts in spreadsheets. That's like
the running joke. Now I'm kind of hoping that I'll
(10:08):
get more learning around it, but candidly that we knew
probably top four five athletes that most likely would get protected.
And so then the question was if they didn't protect
player A or B, would they fit into coach and
(10:29):
a Casse's system, yes or no? If yes, then why?
If no, then why? And so we just did this
whole ransom repeat. Come in, have a conversation, team by team,
player by player, discuss, go watch film, come back, and
(10:49):
we did that for a really long time. We had
a lot of very passionate conversations because we wanted to
make sure that we were battle tested when we were
asked about why we picked player A or player C.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
And I think.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
This entire process showed us that number One, we care.
Number two, we will do our homework to make sure
that we're competitive not just on the court but amongst
each other. And three, you know, constructive feedback is always
(11:27):
going to be harsher from within them externally and.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Happily for you. What did that collaboration look like on
frapt Night.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Our collaboration m hm, oh gosh, you're still sitting here.
I was in the middle. I mean, we've been collaborating.
I think the moment I got hired, we went for
a celebration dinner, and the collaboration was real. It was fun.
And what I noticed as I learned more and more
from Jess and o'hemma and you know, valling in behind
(11:57):
behind scenes, Kimberly, we all be great in our position.
And I'm not talking great, I'm like saying the best.
And I think when you're surrounded by greatness, like they
motivate me even more.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
So.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
That's what I've started to learn, is like, yeah, we're collaborating,
but we're pushing each other, and I think that's really good.
What's going to set us apart from other organizations? Okay,
I have.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
So many questions about the roster makeup. Seven of the
eleven players are have international experience. Was that intentional to
select players with that type of experience.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
No, it wasn't intentional. I would say, we really just
looked at the athletes for who they are, and then
it just happened to be seven out of eleven have
international ties. What I will say is, you know, in uh,
the different drafts that we had amongst ourselves, you know,
(12:52):
some were post heavy, some were guard heavy, some were
a mixture of the two. And so every day once
we came up with like our this was this is
what the Valkyries will look like, we then had to say, well,
if nothing else happened, could we play basketball in the
way that coach that wants to play? And so that's
(13:15):
what kind of brought us back and forth. I love
that we get to highlight these seven athletes that rain
from a different country outside of the United States, because
the globalization of this sport doesn't get talked about as much,
and these athletes deserve to be put on this platform
(13:39):
to be able to you know, shine and so I think, yeah,
we're really excited about it.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Jess. One of my favorite parts about the draft was
just seeing all of the different people come together to
introduce the players, whether it was Baron Davis eight forty,
I think that you all did such a great job
and bring in the community together. What ways do you
plan to continue to engage the community and the fans
and the Valkyrie's identity.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Well, first, thank you for noticing you know that intentionality
is really important to our entire team, right we have
a lot of people, as coach Natalie mentioned, working behind
the scenes to think about things like that and make
sure we're representing the different people that are following what
we do. And that's really the main piece, Like we
want to think through what does this feel like for
everybody as they're watching this and seeing our brand identified.
(14:40):
It's important, right, Like how they see people show up
that are wearing Valkyrie's gear and speaking on our behalf
is a really big moment for us. So it's just
about making sure we're growing that base. You know, we
hope and we know obviously now that we have Michelle,
we West, Dannie forty and barn As fans. You know,
we want many other people to join what we're doing
and be able to speak about it. But it was
a bit moment for us for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Yeah, and I loved, like before launched the block parties
and just getting the community actively engaged in getting excited
about that.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
My three and five year old's first concert was pel
Klani and I was like, Okay, this is who you are.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
You are the area.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Yeah, exactly, So I think I nailed parenting that day.
So if I've done nothing else, I expose them to
the right folks.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
But there's this question to Natalie and Ohima. With WNBA
free agency coming up, and of course the w NBAH
draft where you all have the number five pick in
each of the rounds, how do you prioritize the short
term goals of the team and the roster versus the
long swim team goals? Knowing that also another expansion draft
(15:44):
will be coming in twenty twenty five for the twenty
twenty six teams.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
Yeah, mister Joe has said that we need to win
the championship. He put a timeline by it and then
made a joke during the expansion draft we could do it.
Maybe we could do it in less time. So the
goal is always to organically create a winning culture, and
(16:11):
how we do that, we're kind of keeping close to
the vest. But the Bay has been hungry for a
w NBA team for a very long time, and the
three of us are sitting here because we understand the
assignment and we want to make sure that every day
we're not leaving any stone unturned to put the best
(16:34):
competitive group of women on court and also make the
case that you should invest in women sports.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Yeah. So my first conversation with Joe Laika, as you said,
like we're winning in five years. That's the deal. That's
what you sign up for. So right away, I mean
I'm motivated, right, and so a lot I've been getting
a lot of questions of like what does the first
season look like for you? I want to win every game.
I mean I don't want to go into the locker
room and say hey to my players like yeah, maybe
(17:06):
we'll win or yeah maybe we'll lose. No, Like, my
mindset is going into every game preparing us to the
best of our ability, and we want to win every game.
And that's the mindset that I want our players to have.
So to me, that success is when we prepare them
and we go out there and compete and be battle
tested like we've been talking about. That to me is success.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
When you look at the roster makeup of this group,
how would you say it blends well with your coach
and style.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
So if you watched all of these eleven players, like
you can't take your eyes off the fact that they
play so hungry, Like they are hungry. They play like
their life depends on it. Like I can go down
the line from Kayla to Kate Martin to Xander Lassini
to Conde for those you know that you know haven't
seen Conde play, But they play so hard and that's
what you want, like from the from the jump to
(17:56):
the end, and then their ability to space the floor
and more importantly as you watch them even closer, they're
high IQ like they have a very good high IQ.
And I'm going to throw on this too high character
like they're just really really great people.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
I throw this to all of you. What's been the
most surprising or challenging part about being able to start
up a new WNBA team from each of your perspectives
and roles.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
I mean, for me, we talked about how much we
all care about this. That's a weight right every day
you wake up every day motivated, but with a specific
timeline that on Friday, May sixteenth, Chase Center will be open.
We will be playing the La sparks, our fans will
be showing up, the world will be watching. What does
that feel like? And that is such a privileged opportunity
(18:42):
to have a chance to work towards something you truly
believe is making this world a better place and representative
of what these incredible athletes deserve and have deserved for
a long time. And it's heavy because you want to
get it right so much. So I think the opportunity
and the difficulty is I think as any leader that
manages anything can tell you like you just carry that
(19:04):
with you, and you carry that stress that you can
see and everybody around you with you as well.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
Yeah, I would say to Biggie back off of that,
there is no blueprint. We're creating the blueprint, and so
I think we're highly selective first and foremost of the
people that we hire to bring into our organization. So
don't ask me any hiring questions because I'm going to be.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Very negative about that.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
And because there's no blueprint we want to make sure
that how we're laying down the foundation of how other
expansion teams can do it, not only in the w
but also in any other sport. We collectively don't give
each other grace, and we need to continue to do
(19:50):
that in order to understand the heaviness that we elected
to be a part of on a daily basis.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Yes, you might think I'm a little sick in the head,
but I love challenges. I kind of been taught since
a young age to take more of the tough road.
So I love challenges. I'm embracing it. I love proving
people wrong. So for those of people who don't think
that we can win in five years, like, please keep
telling me that, because that's only going to add field
my fire. So yeah, I'm excited, not more looking at
(20:22):
the challenge.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
When you think about rounding out your coaching staff, what
types of characteristics for who do you have in mind?
I know that with a lot of the recent hires
in the w NBA, a lot of organizations, I've been
leaning towards college coaches or looking at the NBA for hiring.
What is that process looking like for you right now?
Speaker 2 (20:41):
Like I just mentioned a little sick in head. Dallas
was sick in the head, you know. No, I'm just
being and self aware. Yeah. No, genuine people, that's from
the top. Again, I've learned that from Becky Hammond. She
gave me the opportunity. She opened her heart when I
was in a very very tough time, you know, losing
my dad, and she just opened her heart and her
(21:03):
home to me. And so I feel that when you
do that, you can get the best out of your players.
So genuineness comes from the top. And then I think
a little crazy, a little crazy, and then obviously just
attention to detail and a constant learner. That's the keys
for me.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Are you close to finding some of those assistant coaches.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Yeah, We've been doing a lot of interviewing, which is
the process. Like I think, having a long process and
being thorough because again, I don't want to miss on
this opportunity to get a great fit. Because I think
the coaches, as much as they get along, we're going
to be pouring into the players. So we're actually the
full leaders of our team. You know, it's just not
just me, it's just my whole coaching staff. So I
(21:43):
want to pick the right people.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Non basketball related question, what excites to you the most
about just being in the Bay Area. Why should w
NBA fans be excited?
Speaker 3 (21:54):
I mean, it's so representative of the culture in the Bay.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
Right.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
The Bay is where everyone looks to what comes next
in this world, right technology, innovation, how we treat people, representation,
and so to have that vibe and when you're in
the Bay, you know, we mentioned some of the great
musical artists you know that are with us too. But
there's a grit to the Bay that is undeniable. And
there's a little bit of that side smirk that if
you don't know about the Bay, you're going to know
(22:18):
about the Bay. We might not be as big, but
we're going to be as strong, right you might You're
going to know who we are, you know, in a
really big way. And so for me, I just I've
lived in the b area on and off for almost
twenty years now. It's home for me for sure. And
I also personally love that we have roots in Oakland
and San Francisco, you know, to be able to span
both cities as well, it's super special.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
I'm on the East coast gurly, so this I'm still
trying to figure it out. I think what I love
is the passion people are just all in. To have
twenty thousand people standing in line to get season tickets.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Wow, congratulations.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
By the way, it's team and team, prior to myself
hiring a head coach, prior to our athletes being announced,
prior to playing a basketball game.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
That passion, you can't buy it. Like you there's no
other place that is going to unapologetically, And I think
the word that I'm looking for is authentically like be
behind our team, and that just makes us want to
(23:39):
work even harder.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Yeah, so I would say invested. I was walking yesterday
down the street to go grab coffee in San Francisco,
and I was wearing my Vockeries, you know, hoodie because
they hooked me up. So I'm down and a gentleman
was hey hey. He's like, are you the coach of
the Valkyeries And I'm like yeah, and he goes all right,
like I'm right, So I kept walking. He goes hey,
(24:01):
he goes, you got a game today?
Speaker 3 (24:03):
And I was like do I have a game?
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Because I was like, wait, do I have a game today?
But no, I mean I just checked. I was like,
holy crap, don't have a came but just investment, right, like,
just invested the buy in. I mean it's already there.
So I think that's what I'm really excited about.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Looking ahead to the Aull Girl season, you open up
against the Los Angeles Sparks on May sixteenth. We just
talked about what's exciting about the Bay Area and twenty
thousand fans season ticket holders as well. What excites you
the most about just tipping off May sixteenth against a
legacy team like the Sparks.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
I haven't thought about it, to be quite honest. I
think there's a lot of work to be done, and
that's okay. Like I I think as I get closer
to it, you know, we we still have to put.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Our full team together.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
We have free agency coming up, we have the collegiate
draft coming up, and then we have training camp and
the goal is to have the most competitive training camp.
We want these athletes to be hungry, excited, and I
(25:32):
would say probably like honored to be able to put
on a Valkyrie's jersey, right Like, for the first time
ever in a really long time. You get to put
on a jersey that nobody else has put on. You
get to have your first number there's so many firsts
that are going to come along the way, and I
think that we as a front office and the business
(25:52):
team can like lean in on that.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
So now I have a hard question for you.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Here we go, Here we go.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Agency is coming up, and of course you all did
not select a player from the Seattle Storm. However, has
been reported that Jewel Lloyd requested a trade. Now, I
know you're not gonna tell me your strategy here on
the show.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Right about that, let's start there.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Kelsey Mitchell is also a player who says she's open
to exploring free agency. True guard to you know, big.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Names can play basketball.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Yeah, is anything going to be ruled off the table
when it comes to those sort of players in free agency?
Speaker 4 (26:33):
We're open to all players, to be quite honest, like that,
our non negotiables have stayed the same, and as coach
Natalie described, we're looking for competitive individuals first and foremost,
we want them to be connected. This is the first
time everybody's gonna put on a jersey and go on right.
(26:56):
To build versus to win. Building sometimes has a negative
connotation that like, if you're in build mode, that means
you're losing games. And we are going to change that
mindset and that definition. So to answer your question without
answering your question, stay dumned, you.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
Will be keeping on us on it. Jest for you.
You all are expected to unveil your new practice facility
sometime next year, and we've seen how important that is
to attract free agents. Why is Golden State a place
where athletes should look to play?
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Yeah, that's my job is to make sure we can
do as much as we can on the commercial side
to support the atmosphere that Ohamma and coach Natalie want
to build. So for us, you know, they can speak
more to attracting the free agents, but for us, it's
about making sure that we have elite facilities that our
players can be their best selves in and making sure
(27:56):
that it's representative of the brand that all of us
have come to the table with a lot of work
and thought behind, so that whether it's those players walking in,
you know, somebody from the media walking in, somebody coming
in for a youth clinic, that they feel what the
valkyries are you know, inside Chase Center and inside Oakland
as well.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Well. I'd like to add, like when we have invest
in you know, the resources like we've talked about like
we also care about the longevity of their career. So
Joe is not only like just having a facility. It's
like the treatment rooms. It's a therapy, it's the mental therapy,
it's everything. It's all the layers who's thinking about because
we don't want just the players to just come in
and have like a season, like we want them to
(28:33):
make it their home. And I think that's what we're
talking about intentionality with how we build things and.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
All that note, I want to thank you all for
joining us this week on In Case you missed It
with Christina Williams here on iHeartRadio. It's been such a
pleasure and I'm looking forward to May sixteenth, but most
importantly what you all do in free agency. Of course,
thank you, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
I just want to thank jess Ohemma and Natalie again
for stopping by to the show this week. Don't forget
to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast, and we'll
be back here next week on In Case you missed
It with Christina Williams here on iHeartRadio. In Case you
missed It with Christina Williams is an iHeart women's sports
(29:23):
production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You
can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts.
Host
Khristina Williams
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