Player Bio: Natalie Nakase - UCLA Official Athletic Site
UCLA — Has improved her assist and scoring average for three straight seasons … Is like a coach on the floor … Made a marked improvement in her free throw shooting last season … Knows the system well.
2002 — Honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection … Starter in all 29 games and in the past 58 straight contests … Finished the year ranked seventh on UCLA’s all-time single-season assist list with 148, the second-highest total ever by a Bruin junior … Ranked third in the Pac-10 in assists (5.10), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.45), ninth in free throw percentage (.783) and 10th in steals (1.72) … Had at least eight assists in six games … Recorded eight assists in the opener against Liberty … Handed out eight assists and hit two big free throws with nine seconds to play to help secure the win over Ohio State … Hit a three-pointer to give UCLA the lead for good in the win over BYU … Had seven points, eight assists and five rebounds at Baylor … Scored 11 points with six assists versus Oregon State … Scored a career-high 24 points and had eight assists in the win at Washington State … Scored 21 points versus USC … Recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 assists against Arizona … Had 14 points and eight assists at Oregon … Scored 14 points in the win at Long Beach … Had 11 points and seven assists in the regular season finale against Stanford.
2001 — Starter in all 29 games … Ranked fifth in the Pac-10 in assists (4.45) and steals (2.21) … Handed out eight assists and recorded four steals in the win over Washington … Scored 10 points and handed out seven assists in the win over WSU … Credited with nine assists at Stanford …?Had a career-best eight steals, tied for eighth-best in UCLA single-game history, and handed out seven assists in the win over Oregon … Had a career-best eight rebounds at ASU … Handed out seven assists in 40 minutes of play in the win over Arizona … Scored 11 points in the win over USC …?Also had 11 points at Washington State … Made her first career start in the season-opener versus Duke.
2000 — Played in 11 games … Scored her first career points vs. San Diego State with a basket after a steal and a free throw … Came in for some prime time minutes to settle the team down during the game vs. California in Pauley.
1999 — Redshirted the season after undergoing reconstructive surgery to repair torn ligaments in her left knee … Injured her knee in an August summer league game.
HIGH SCHOOL — Four-year letterwinner under coach Pete Benny at Marina HS … Led Marina to the 1998 CIF Championship and to two Sunset League titles … All-State second team and All-CIF first team selection … Named the 1998 Orange County Player of the Year by the Orange County Register … Ended her career as the Sunset League career assist leader and ranked second in the county and third in the CIF in assists … Holds school records for career assists, steals and three-point shots made … Averaged 13.5 points, 8.0 assists and 3.1 steals per game … Played club ball with Southern Cal Women’s Basketball and with the O.C. Hoyas.
PERSONAL — Full Name: Natalie Mitsue Nakase … Born: April 18, 1980 in Anaheim … Parents: Gary and Debra Nakase … Has two older sisters (Norie and Nicola) … Describes her greatest athletic thrill as playing the best game of her high school career to win the CIF Championship game … Names her father as the person she admires most … Hobbies include going to the beach, dancing and listening to music … Psychology major.
UCLA Career Statistics
| Year | G-Gs | Min/Avg | Fg-Fga | Pct. | Ft-A | Pct. | Reb./Avg. | A | B | St | TP | Avg |
| '01-02 | 29-29 | 960/33.1 | 72-199 | .362 | 65-83 | .783 | 89/3.1 | 148 | 1 | 50 | 228 | 7.9 |
| '00-01 | 29-29 | 918/31.7 | 46-125 | .368 | 30-60 | .500 | 56/1.9 | 129 | 1 | 64 | 128 | 4.4 |
| '99-00 | 11-0 | 38/3.5 | 2-3 | .667 | 5-7 | .714 | 6/0.5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0.8 |
| Totals | 69-58 | 1916/27.8 | 120-327 | .397 | 100-150 | .667 | 151/2.2 | 278 | 2 | 118 | 365 | 5.3 |
| Pac-10 | 43-36 | 1198/27.9 | 79-218 | .362 | 77-110 | .700 | 97/2.2 | 189 | 2 | 81 | 251 | 5.8 |
3-Point Shooting: 2002 - 19-56 (.339); 2001 - 6-25 (.240); 2000 - None; Totals - 25-81 (.309).
Career Highs
Points: 24, at Washington State (1/6/02)
Rebounds: 8, last at Washington State (1/6/02)
Assists: 11, vs. Arizona (1/19/02)
Steals: 8, vs. Oregon (2/23/01)
Blocks: 1, last vs. Oregon (12/20/01)
FG Made: 6, last at Long Beach State (2/5/02)
3-pt. FG Made: 3, at Washington State (1/6/02)
FT Made: 11, vs. USC (1/13/02)
Minutes: 40, last vs. California (3/1/02)