FEU Lady Tamaraws senior Yvette Villanueva was among the newcomers in the Gilas Pilipinas Women’s program during the offseason.
Yvette Villanueva is heading into her last playing year with the FEU Lady Tamaraws with a renewed sense of experience, after gaining crucial lessons with the Gilas Pilipinas women’s national team during their tournaments this year.
Villanueva joined UST’s Kent Pastrana as the young newcomers in the Gilas squad that saw action in the William Jones Cup and in the 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup.
Eyeing a better outing for the Lady Tams in her last year in the collegiate tournament, Villanueva said that she’s raring to put everything she’s learned from her Gilas ates — and her opponents — to the test against their UAAP rivals.
The FEU Lady Tamaraws are gunning for a better outing in UAAP Season 88. | Photo: RM Chua / One Sports
“Nung pagbalik ko din sa Gilas, we’re preparing for this season. Dinala ko lang 'yung experience ko na na-gain na Gilas. Syempre, international stage siya,” Villanueva told One Sports during the recent UAAP Season 88 Content Day.
“Now [it] is my last playing year and babaunin ko lahat ng experience na 'yun at isshare ko din sa mga rookies namin and sa mga kapwa ko seniors.”
Under the tutelage of head coach Raiza Palmera-Dy, Villanueva holds a big responsibility in helping her team gun for the title against bigger and stronger teams.
But after facing more experienced and mostly taller opponents with Gilas, Villanueva is ready for anything.
Yvette Villanueva had her first taste of national team action during the offseason. | Photo: FIBA
“Given na mas malalaki sila[ng mga kalaban namin]. Yung [natutunan ko] siguro, [yung] puso kung pano ka lumaban,” she said.
“Kahit maliit na playing time, ibibigay mo talaga lahat. For this upcoming season, maging competitive kami every game,” she added.
Remaining competitive will be easier said than done for Villanueva’s Lady Tamaraws, though, as they will continue to fight with former Mythical Five member Josee Kaputu whose recovery from injury won’t make it in time for UAAP Season 88.
Villanueva isn’t one to be deterred, though, as she and the rest of the team — especially the bigs — will do their best to fight with what they have.
“Since nawala yung one of our big man, ang preparation namin is magstep up yung bigs namin since iilan nalang kami to push through kasi kulang talaga kami sa height. So, we’re preparing every training,” she said.
Last year, FEU finished seventh in the standings with a 3-11 slate.
The UAAP women’s basketball tournament is slated to begin on Wednesday, September 24, after teams requested for a later start date due to the 2025 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup which will feature players from Adamson, Ateneo, and NU.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.