UAAP Season 87 MVP Kacey Dela Rosa and Rookie of the Year Cielo Pagdulagan will be at the forefront of women’s basketball at the Collegiate Press Corps Awards.
Women’s basketball will take center stage at the Collegiate Press Corps Awards Night this June 30 with two-time UAAP MVP Kacey Dela Rosa of Ateneo and UAAP Season 87 Rookie of the Year Cielo Pagdulagan of season champions NU leading the helm.
Dela Rosa, who was also a recipient of a Collegiate Women’s Basketball Mythical Five citation last year, takes the highest honor this time around as the Collegiate Women’s Basketball Player of the Year with eye-popping numbers of 22.1 points, 16.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 3.97 blocks per game in a Final Four finish for the Blue Eagles.
Meanwhile, Pagdulagan adds another trophy to her cabinet after taking the ROY and Finals MVP trophies as part of the Mythical Team, successfully leading the Lady Bulldogs back to the summit in UAAP women’s basketball.
In the finals, Pagdulagan averaged 15.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.67 assists, and 1.67 steals in the three-game series where NU outbattled rivals UST to reclaim their crown — winning their 8th championship in the last nine seasons.
Also in the Mythical Five is UST’s Kent Pastrana, who spearheaded the Growling Tigresses’ campaign back to the finals before ultimately falling to NU in three matches.
Last year, Pastrana was the recipient of the Player of the Year award, after leading UST to their first crown in decades in Season 86.
Adamson’s Elaine Etang also receives a Mythical Five citation after powering Adamson to a 9-5 win-loss record in Season 87, landing them their first podium finish since 2016 after a 59-53 escape over Ateneo in the stepladder semifinals.
Completing the cast is Louna Ozar of the UP Fighting Maroons who finished third in the MVP race behind Dela Rosa and Pastrana. The Fil-French cager normed 12 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in the season.