Get to Know UPB’s New Interns: Bailey Fong and Branden Antiporda

4 minute read

By Andrea Aruino

This summer, UPBasketball welcomed two former collegiate athletes to its coaching staff as Player Development Interns. Bailey Fong and Branden Antiporda arrived with different basketball journeys, but shared one goal of helping young athletes develop both on and off the court. Between years of collegiate competition, coaching experience, and a passion for mentorship, the pair bring fresh perspectives to UPBasketball while learning from coaches who have trained all levels of players.

For Fong, the opportunity to join UPBasketball comes after four years at Westmont College, where she experienced one of the most unique collegiate careers imaginable. The Hillsdale High School graduate played through Westmont College's transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II, witnessing firsthand how a program adapts to an entirely new level of competition while growing as both a player and leader along the way. Fong's basketball journey began in San Mateo, where her parents enrolled her in a local instructional league when she was just eight years old. From there, she played with the Flyers in the Asian League and competed for several AAU programs including Renegades and Bay City.

Although her freshman season was spent learning behind veteran leaders, the experience laid the foundation for Fong’s next four years. As Westmont transitioned into NCAA Division II, Fong helped guide the program through unfamiliar territory while battling adversity of her own. During her sophomore season, she tore the UCL in her elbow but continued playing through the injury with a heavy brace.

"Looking back, that's kind of cool that it happened because I was able to persevere through that and also perform at a high level with that. My freshman year kind of solidified a lot of culture norms and expectations. It eased me into the college basketball world, so I'm very grateful for that," Fong said.

Entering her senior season, Fong and the Warriors returned nearly their entire roster, bringing back 12 players and carrying high expectations after earning a postseason berth the year before. With an experienced group that had already navigated the challenges of transitioning into NCAA Division II, Westmont remained near the top of the conference throughout the season. This accomplishment of hers ranks among the top three single-game scoring performances in Westmont Women’s Basketball history.

"We had high expectations going into the season, and I think we maintained where we were supposed to be. We made it to the postseason tournament, and even though we dealt with a lot of injuries at the end, it was a really good experience," Fong said.

Now serving as a Player Development Intern, Fong hopes to combine her basketball experience with her college background in data analytics to help players improve. More importantly, she wants to become the type of mentor her own coaches were throughout her career. While she never trained at UPBasketball herself, Fong was already familiar with the program's impact through the Bay Area basketball community. She frequently heard about athletes developing under Coach Packie Turner and admired the reputation he had built over the years.

Like Fong, Antiporda's basketball journey has always been rooted in community. Growing up in the Bay Area, basketball was a family tradition. His father played in high school, his mother competed at the collegiate level, and a trip to a Golden State Warriors game in elementary school sparked a lifelong passion for the sport.

Antiporda played for several local programs including SF Work Hard Play Hard, SF Soldiers, Mercado Basketball, and Foster City Flyers before spending three years at Junípero Serra High School and finishing his high school career at Aragon High School. After receiving an opportunity to play at the University of La Verne, he later returned home to continue both his education and basketball career at Skyline College. Although injuries became part of his playing career, they also helped shape his future. Spending time away from the court opened his eyes to coaching, allowing him to stay connected to the game while helping younger athletes improve.

Hoping to continue his coaching ventures, Antiporda, who was already familiar with UPBasketball from the player's perspective, came back to immerse himself even more as a coach. As a middle school athlete, he trained under Coach Packie Turner and remembers the competitive environment that challenged players every session.

"Every time I went there, it was kind of like, 'Wow, this is challenging. I want to come back and improve. I want to get better. Coming back as a [Player Development] Intern, I'm kind of soaking everything in and learning what I can so I can take it with me and improve myself as well," Antiporda said.

Although Fong and Antiporda followed different paths to UPBasketball, they share a common purpose. Both understand firsthand the impact a coach can have on an athlete's confidence, growth, and love for the game. Now, as Player Development Interns, they're beginning the next chapter of their basketball journeys—one focused not on their own development, but on helping the next generation reach their potential.