The UST Growling Tigresses present a new challenge to the rest of the UAAP field in Season 88 with the addition of foreign student-athlete Oma Onianwa.
The UST Growling Tigresses are expected to have more options on offense in their UAAP Season 88 redemption bid with the addition of foreign student-athlete Oma Onianwa to the lineup, giving them strength inside the paint.
Having flaunted her stuff in preseason tournaments, including the 2025 WMPBL Invitational where UST reached the finals, Onianwa has presented herself as a dominant force under the basket.
Though more known for their fast-paced style of play, UST head coach Haydee Ong said there might be some changes with regards to their game plan, as they now have another prolific scorer inside, further compounding their shooting prowess.
“Kasi si Oma when she arrived last year for her residency, sinabak na namin siya with the WMPBL preseason para magkaron na rin talaga ng chemistry. Kasi, medyo nahirapan din yung team [but] now may added weapon kung masasabi namin kasi we can dump the ball to the post right now, which we don’t usually do talaga,” said Ong on a recent episode of
Starting Lineup.
“'Yun nga nasabi niyo, it’s like a run and gun, we love transition, we love transition threes. So I think 'yung nadagdag ni Oma samin is another option for our system na meron kaming threat sa ilalim ngayon. For the past three, four years, wala kami non.”
Onianwa has the potential to be UST’s go-to woman on offense, along with Mythical Team member Kent Pastrana who is playing in her final year.
[RELATED: Eka Soriano, Kent Pastrana lead by example as UST eyes redemption in UAAP Season 88]
With the UST newcomer expected to be as effective as former UAAP MVP Grace Irebu, who led the Tigresses to the finals, Onianwa will be a key cog in Ong’s system.
But Ong wasn’t too quick to say that it will all be about Onianwa.
Having entertained UAAP fans in recent years with their fast-paced basketball, Ong promised that UST will continue to push their brand of basketball that UST has long been known for.
“Wala [naman bago]. The same UST who wants to run, who wants to have full-court press. Ganon parin kami. Nadagdagan pa,” she said.
The UST Growling Tigresses are eyeing a redemption bid in UAAP Season 88 following a finals loss to NU in Season 87.
UST is also facing added motivation as the school will be the hosts for the upcoming UAAP season.