“Put a Target on His Back”: Valkyries HC Reveals How She Beat the ‘Short Asian Woman’ Eye Test After Blake Griffin Doubted Her

Natalie Nakase had to prove herself long before she became the head coach of the Golden State Valkyries. Standing just 5-foot-2, the former UCLA walk-on entered the NBA coaching ranks as a video intern with the Los Angeles Clippers. Not everyone believed she would eventually become a head coach. Even Blake Griffin, one of the NBA’s biggest stars at the time, initially struggled to envision that future for her. In a candid recollection of her time with the Clippers, the Valkyries coach revealed how Griffin’s skepticism became personal motivation.