The success of the Ateneo Blue Eagles hinged on the performance of its guards, and Kai Oani was up to the task in UAAP Season 88.
In recent years, the Ateneo Blue Eagles have been known for its strong “twin towers”, with two-time UAAP MVP Kacey Dela Rosa and Sarah Makanjoula leading the way on offense in most of their games with their dominant play inside.
But as the Blue Eagles progressed and targeted bigger things, the responsibility has grown to cover those in the backcourt — especially their point guards — after Jhaz Joson’s exit a few seasons back.
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Ateneo knocks out Adamson in UAAP stepladder semis]
Following a string of finishes outside of the podium, the Blue Eagles have assured themselves at least a bronze medal with their stepladder semifinals win over Adamson on Sunday. Among the biggest changes was the growth of starting point guard Kai Oani.
The Fil-Am player was plunged into deep responsibility even in her rookie year when she was faced with the tall task of replacing a player like Joson. As she grappled with new environments and a new playing style, it was easier said than done.
Thankfully when it mattered most in her sophomore year, the game began to open up for Oani.
“Well going into the game, I knew that I had to step up just knowing how we played the last time we played [Adamson], coach [LA Mumar] has been hitting on us guards to step up and do our job,” Oani said after firing 13 points in the win over the Lady Falcons.
“So we’re just following the game plan and it helps that my teammates are confident in me shooting the ball, they just kept telling me to shoot the ball.”
Regardless of her bounce back season, Oani wasn’t shying away from the fact that she did indeed take time.
At the end of the day, Oani said that it was about trusting the process and leaning on her teammates and coaches throughout her journey with the Ateneo Blue Eagles so far. With their title hopes on the line, she’s eager to continue showing up.
“It’s always been there. It just took me a little while to come out and to really show myself. It just took me a year to adjust to the playing style here and adjust to life, really, just being out here by myself without the support of my family as much,” said Oani.
“You know, I was just adjusting and everyone’s confident in me. They knew that I was gonna step up and it was just a matter of time.” she added.
‘All of us are stars’
It is certainly a no-brainer that one of Oani’s biggest supporters would be Mumar, as he was the one who helped recruit the Fil-Am point guard to fill in the void left by Joson.
Unlike many, Mumar was a little more patient when it came to her development.
Understanding that the process takes time, Mumar had to deal with a shallow rotation for some time since Joson’s exit. But with experience slowly sharpening the sword in Ateneo’s backcourt, they are ready to reap the benefits of their sacrifice.
“A lot of people were criticizing si Kai last year, replacing Jhaz na parang kulang ng guard. But now I think, we’re seeing who Kai Oani is. I think that speaks about the program, we really get talented kids that we develop and we believe in Kai.” said Mumar.
“It was a tough ask for her last year, she did a great job last year, but now you can see and I think you’ll see more of Kai Oani and the other guards support, and not even [just support]… We’re not like Taylor Swift and the band, we’re the Blackpink, all of us are stars. It’s not just a Kacey show.” he added.
With their newfound confidence, the Blue Eagles will be looking for their biggest upset in recent seasons when they come face-to-face with defending champions NU in the next step of their step-ladder semifinals.
They face off on Wednesday, December 3, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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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.