Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase fined after criticizing officiating in Game 1 loss to Lynx

Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase was fined for criticizing the officiating after their Game 1 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday.

Nakase revealed the fine on Tuesday after practice, but did not disclose the amount — which is something the WNBA doesn’t announce, either. But Nakase stood by her comments.

“I said what I said,” Nakase said, . “I’m always going to fight for my team when I feel that. The calls were the calls, and I got fined. So, you know, throwing in that donation, or whatever it is. So I paid for it, and I’m going to donate that. I heard it was a tax write-off.”

Nakase slammed the officiating after the team’s 101-72 loss to the Lynx on Sunday, which marked the franchise’s first ever playoff game after entering the league this season.

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Though the Lynx hold the top seed in the playoffs after compiling a dominant 33-10 record throughout the regular season, Nakase blamed the officiating for taking away her team’s momentum in Game 1. The Valkyries actually shot more free throws than the Lynx did in that contest, and the foul counts were just about identical. Nakase was hit with a technical foul at one point in the second half for arguing a call, too.

“When Iliana Rupert is trying to fight for the rebound and she’s getting called for a foul on a rebound, it takes our aggression away, and that’s where I’m not OK with it,” Nakase said after the game. “I want a fair fight. I really do. I want a clean fight, but I love the fact that both teams are playing their hearts out. They’re fighting. But I would like it to be fair.”

The foul complaints aren’t unique to this series, either. After the Seattle Storm knocked off the Las Vegas Aces to force a Game 3 in their series on Tuesday night, Storm head coach Noell Quinn declined to address the officiating despite noting that Aces star A’ja Wilson attempted 11 times free throws — eight more than the next closest Storm player attempted.

“You know it’s … I don’t wanna talk about it,” Quinn said.

The Valkyries will host the Lynx in Game 2 of their series on Wednesday night in San Jose. They’ll need a win to stay alive in the postseason and force a Game 3 back in Minneapolis.