Two-time UAAP MVP Kacey Dela Rosa will be headlining the Gilas Pilipinas Women U23 3x3 team in the FIBA U23 3x3 World Cup next month.
It’s the final stretch of preparations for Gilas Pilipinas Women U23 as they get ready for the FIBA U23 3x3 World Cup, slated next month in Xiong An, China.
After finishing in the semifinals of the inaugural Pilipinas United 3x3 League women’s tournament over the weekend, Kacey Dela Rosa and the rest of the team are already on their way to finalizing their competitive form for the World Cup.
Going up against older and more experienced players in the 8-team tournament, Dela Rosa and her teammates were able to get invaluable game time that will sharpen their skills ahead of the much tougher stint in China.
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“I think we did great naman [here at the Pilipinas United 3x3 League], offensively and defensively, and I think this tournament can really help us preparing for the World Cup,” said Dela Rosa.
Gilas Women U23 were at the cusp of making it to the Finals, which would’ve made it a battle against fellow Filipino team Uratex Dream.
But Maurice Lacroix of Japan drilled a buzzer-beating three at the horn that sank Gilas’ title hopes, and the Japanese-based team ended up taking the title, which included a hefty payday of USD 3,000.
Regardless, there were a lot of lessons for Dela Rosa, Elaine Etang, Tin Cayabyab, and Cheska Apag, as they were able to test their mettle against teams from Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan.
Especially after a highly-physical semifinal against Maurice Lacroix, Dela Rosa believes they will now be able to handle situations handed to them in the World Cup.
“It can help us prepare for the situations inside the court. Kasi syempre, wala na yang coach. So we need to adjust kami kami lang sa gilid. I think mas nakaka-help mas mag-communicate pa,” she said.
Perhaps most importantly, their weekend stint in Parañaque gave them something that has long been elusive — time and practice together. With all players still finishing their studies, it was difficult for the national team to find their common free time to work on their chemistry.
But after playing more than a handful of games together — and competitively at that — Dela Rosa said that they are on their way to gelling together as a team.
“Yeah, actually parang twice lang kami nag-practice together and I think pag mas ma-practice pa kami magkakasama, siguro mas mape-perfect namin yung chemistry namin inside the court,” she said.
The FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup unfurls on September 17 and will feature 17 teams. China, Netherlands, Germany, and the USA will be the top seeded teams in the tournament.