A quick online search reveals Chico State's women's basketball team has three coaches on the bench during every game: one head coach and two assistants.  Ask any of the players, however, and they'll tell you about the Wildcats' fourth coach—Coach Val.
 
Natalie Valenzuela has been with the team for five years and knows the program forward, backward, and every other imaginable way, according to head coach Brian Fogel.

Valenzuela's nickname "Coach Val" took hold earlier this season as a testament to her time and commitment to the program. Due to his trust in her, Fogel began directing the players to Valenzuela for tips and information.
 
"The kids will ask a question and I'll just go 'Coach Val' and she'll give the answer," Fogel said. "She's respected by everyone."

 

Valenzuela credits this role in the team to the maturation of her relationship with Fogel.
 
"Our relationship has changed since my freshman year," Valenzuela said. "I like that he can trust me to say what I want to say to the girls, and that I can trust him to have my back or correct me if I'm wrong."
 
Valenzuela was unaware of Chico's existence until Fogel called.

She was fresh off winning the state championship with Chaminade College Preparatory School in West Hills. As a Wildcat, she quickly earned a reputation as a defensive stopper while appearing in 22 games during her freshman season.

Valenzuela guards positions two through five, typically defends the opposing team's best player, and ranks third all time in blocked shots for Chico State. She's five away from moving up to No. 2. However, an injury during her junior year compelled her to find alternative ways to help the team.

The fifth-year senior tore her ACL midway through the season and was forced to take a medical redshirt the following year due to complications.
 
"It was really eye opening and just a different perspective to watch instead of play," said Valenzuela. "I was able to really come into my leadership position by talking about what I saw to my teammates."
 
The redshirt season allowed Valenzuela to play into her fifth year and provided incentive to continue school after receiving her bachelor's degree in business administration.

She plans to graduate with her master's degree in business administration in the spring of 2020.

 

Valenzuela and teammate McKena Barker are the first two players in Fogel's 11-year tenure as head coach to pursue post-graduate degrees while playing.
 
Barker and Valenzuela, the two individuals with the most seniority on the team, are also the two closest.
 
"If you find one, you'll find the other," Fogel said. "They're roommates and together all the time."
 
"They kind of contrast each other," said assistant coach Meghan de los Reyes. "Valenzuela is calm and steady and McKena is loud and energetic—they're best friends."
 
Valenzuela labels her relationship with Barker as one of the closest she's ever had.
 
"I would call her another one of my sisters so I can't imagine my life without her," Valenzuela said.

Barker illustrated the benefits that Valenzuela's experience provides to her and her teammates.

"Having a senior leader that is willing and able to break things down, communicate, and consistently help other players is a huge benefit," Barker said. "I know the younger girls love it and think she's a real good teacher. I've been here all five years and I still benefit from it."

Valenzuela explained the importance of being a leader off the court as well.
 
"To be an example to the younger ones that hard work does pay off," Valenzuela said. "If you want, you can pursue a higher education while doing something you love."

 

Reflecting on her collegiate career, Valenzuela expressed gratitude for her opportunities. She spoke extensively about the ways being a student athlete enriched her experience at Chico State, such as community services opportunities and developing relationships with supporters.
 
"We usually volunteer with the Boys and Girls Club and do a spaghetti feed and is really rewarding, and then also just being with the boosters," Valenzuela said. "We get to know people that have been here and that have been supporting this school for so long."
 
Valenzuela attributes the family atmosphere in the community as the biggest reason Chico State's athletic program stands out above the rest. The fifth-year forward recalls a multitude of road games in which the Wildcats garnered more fans.
 
"We went to Idaho, there's still more fans for us," Valenzuela said.

Ultimately, Valenzuela feels bittersweet realizing her final game as a Wildcat is approaching, but also knowing her relationship with the program will remain the same.
 
"With basketball everyone cares about you," Valenzuela said. "Your relationship isn't just about the four years that you're here. They really care about what you're going to do after."

Fogel first met Valenzuela in 2013 while watching a basketball tournament in Palm Springs. He instantly knew she would fit seamlessly in the program. A phone call between the two of them only strengthened the recruiting process and left Fogel impressed by her intelligence.
 
Fast forward six years and he's still in awe.
 
"She's everything that you would want to have as a person in your program," Fogel said. "She's a student, she's an athlete, she's a great teammate, she's a hard worker, she contributes, she cares, and she's dedicated."

She's Coach Val.