After the Gilas Pilipinas Women shed their mettle against world no. 9 Japan in the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, the SBP believes the future is bright for the Philippine women's national basketball team.
Gilas Pilipinas Women drew the admiration of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) after they battled back from a double-digit lead in a narrow loss against world no. 9 Japan in the 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup on Monday.
Gilas, who ended up losing just by three, 82-85, rebounded with a mighty comeback effort in the final five minutes of play against the Akatsuki Five, where they went on an unanswered 18-0 run that erased a 83-61 deficit.
[READ: Gilas Women comeback falls short vs Japan in FIBA Women’s Asia Cup]
While ultimately falling short of their first victory of the tournament, the SBP said that it was an effort worth commending.
“It was so inspiring how they battled through adversity and pushed Japan until the end,” SBP President Al Panlilio said.
“They literally fought until the final buzzer. Head coach Patrick Aquino did a masterful job of putting this team together with an eye on the future but still able to compete,” he added.
Fil-Am guard Vanessa de Jesus drilled a triple at the death which led to the final score.
But for the SBP, it was more future forward than just the final score for Gilas Pilipinas Women. With eyes on the bigger picture, Panlilio said that it signaled the continuous growth of the program in recent years.
Especially with the country’s hosting of the biennial tournament slated for 2027, the SBP is brimming with excitement at what the future holds for the Gilas Pilipinas Women program.
“More than the final score, that kind of effort makes us feel even more excited to host the next edition of the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in 2027 as it is a clear indication that Philippine women’s basketball is on the rise,” said Panlilio.
“We will continue building and strengthening our Gilas Pilipinas Women that will make us even prouder come 2027.”
Before anything though, the Gilas Women will first wrap up their group games in the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup as they face Lebanon on Wednesday in a must-win situation to keep themselves in contention for the next round.
A win against Lebanon will propel them to the quarterfinals and will seal the Philippines’ place in the qualifying tournament of the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.