Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said she was fined for comments she made about the officiating following the team's Game 1 first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday.
The WNBA doesn't disclose how much fines are, and Nakase told ESPN she doesn't remember the amount. But she said she doesn't take back the criticism.
"I said what I said," Nakase told reporters after practice Tuesday. "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."
Speaking after the Valkyries' 101-72 loss Sunday, Nakase said the officiating impacted her team's ability to sustain the momentum it built in a strong first quarter.
"When Iliana Rupert [three fouls] 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," said Nakase, who was given a technical foul for arguing a call in the second half. "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."
Back in the Bay Area, Nakase and the Valkyries are moving past Game 1 ahead of Wednesday's Game 2 (10 p.m. ET, ESPN) at SAP Center in San Jose, California. Facing elimination, the expansion team spent the past two days looking at adjustments to make so it isn't taken out of the game like in the opener.
"I'm always going to fight for my players, but I'm always owning up to being present," Nakase said Tuesday. "I've moved on. We've already talked about a new game plan offensively and defensively, and that's where I've got to make sure my girls are at."
