A small group of protesters gathered outside Chase Center on Wednesday ahead of the Golden State Valkyries’ game against the Minnesota Lynx.
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase addressed the incident before tip-off. While she did not engage much with the specific policy debate, she did call out the broader toxicity around it.
Natalie Nakase Urges Protesters to “Lead with Love” Amid Trans-Athlete Debate
It was also the first time the protest movement expanded to a game not involving Sophie Cunningham. Fox News reporter Jackson Thompson noted the Save Women’s Sports activists were outnumbered by pro-transgender protesters outside the building.
When the question came up at her pre-game press conference, Nakase declined to engage with the policy debate and instead focused on what she felt was missing from the conversation.
“Save Women’s Sports” activists were outnumbered by pro-transgender counter-protesters outside the Chase Center.
It was the first such rally to take place outside of WNBA game without Sophie Cunningham playing, as the movement expanded to the Valkyries vs Lynx game in San… pic.twitter.com/ZlN4tXVOTR
— Jackson Thompson (@JackThompsonFOX) August 20, 2026
She addressed the protest and the negativity surrounding the issue. “My comment would be, just in the world and just in sports right now, there’s just too much hate that’s going on, too much hate speech,” Nakase said. “I would highly suggest people continue to lead with love.”
She went further on the same theme, expanding on what it means to lead with love as a coach. “I don’t think the word love has been expressed enough for me. I want to continue to share that and continue to support because I know when we [lead with] love, we bring the best out of each other. And so that’s what I want to continue to stand on,” she added.
Valkyries Coach Natalie Nakase addressed the “Save Women’s Sports” protest outside the Chase Center ahead of tonight’s game against the Lynx.
“In the world and just in sports right now, there’s too much hate that’s going on. Too much hate speech. I would highly suggest people… pic.twitter.com/DZ7O9TrvO8
— Jackson Thompson (@JackThompsonFOX) August 20, 2026
The protest came amid a bigger national debate on the issue. It started when Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham addressed the question of trans athletes in women’s sports directly, drawing both criticism and significant support from around the sports world. Organized rallies have followed the Fever’s schedule since.
Wednesday’s remarks were not the first time Nakase had addressed the bigger picture around the debate. Earlier this month, she spoke at length about what inclusion means to her and why the question of belonging in sports resonates on a personal level.
“For me, sports is about belonging. It’s about inclusivity. It’s about allowing everyone to be their authentic self,” Nakase said.
“I’m big on that because I have been criticized for my height, for my ethnicity. I’ve been in those ‘you shouldn’t belong here’ conversations many times. For me I don’t want that space, especially Golden State, to ever feel like that. I’m all about women, little girls deserving to play, and that includes trans women,” she added.
Nakase is the first Asian American head coach in WNBA history and won the 2025 Coach of the Year award after leading Golden State to the playoffs in the franchise’s inaugural season.
There are currently no transgender athletes in the WNBA. The debate has played out entirely as a question of policy and principle, and not in response to any specific player’s eligibility case as of now.
