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| Gilas Women |
The Philippines is set to make history again tonight, when its senior women's national team makes its debut at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournament.
Ranked 40th in the world, Gilas Women earned their spot in the competition with their sixth place finish at the 2023 edition of the FIBA Women's Asia Cup.
The ladies have been bracketed into Group C, one of two groups slated to play in Kigali, Rwanda. Alongside them are three teams in the Top 25 in Brazil (8th), Hungary (16th), and Senegal (25th). Also playing in Kigali are four teams that comprise Group D: hosts Rwanda, Lebanon, Great Britain, and Argentina.
Acknowledged as likely underdogs in this competition, which offers a spot in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament next year to the top finisher, the squad helmed by Patrick Aquino are aware that continuing improvements will entail facing off against top quality opposition.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Executive Director Erika Dy shares, "Moving up the rankings means we’ll have to learn how to step outside our comfort zone. Our Women’s Team has shown us they can be competitive in the region but there’s still a lot of work to be done to reach the next level. Joining competitions like this and going up against highly-ranked opponents will only make our players better and give our program a clear idea on what we need to do to get better."
Gilas Women will rely on a couple of National University alumnae to hold down the fort in Afril Bernardino and Jack Animam.
Aquino says about the former, "Known for her athleticism and relentlessness to win, Afril is one of the best players I have seen in the country. Her constant will to learn and determination to work harder than anybody else has made her who she is now."
As for the latter, she averaged a near double-double with ten points and 9.6 rebounds last June, helping the Philippines escape relegation into Division B.
Providing shooting and veteran leadership are Khate Castillo and Janine Pontejos, with a couple of players having US collegiate experience in Ella Fajardo and Stephanie Berberabe.
Fajardo leads the youth movement in the side, with half the team still playing collegiate basketball or about to make their debut there.
Fajardo is now a senior at Iona, with Kristan Yumul spending her freshman season last year in the NAIA with Westmont College. Naomi Panganiban is an incoming freshman at San Diego State.
In UAAP Season 86, Lou Ozar helped power the University of the Philippines back into the postseason, and she now will get help with Camille Nolasco for this coming campaign. Serving as a potential foil there is last season's Most Valuable Player Kacey dela Rosa of the Ateneo de Manila University.
The Philippines will face off against Brazil on August 19 at 8pm. This will be followed with a showdown against Hungary on August 20 at 11pm. They cap off their group stage assignment against Senegal on August 22 at 5pm.
All of the games will be shown on FIBA's YouTube channel.
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