UAAP: Women’s basketball shines as Gilas experience fuels stars 

The spotlight finally shifts to women’s basketball as UAAP Season 88 tips off its women’s division on Wednesday at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion.

With several UAAP standouts fresh from representing the country with Gilas Pilipinas Women, the league enters a new chapter—one where national team lessons collide with collegiate rivalries.

 Ateneo de Manila opens against University of the East at 12:00 p.m., before University of the Philippines tests Adamson University in the primetime matchup at 7:00 p.m.

The opening schedule was pushed back by a week to accommodate the Philippines’ FIBA 3×3 Under-23 World Cup campaign, which featured Ateneo’s Kacey Dela Rosa, Adamson’s Elaine Etang and Cheska Apag, and NU’s Tin Cayabyab.

 Earlier this year, Dela Rosa also suited up for the Asia Cup alongside Kent Pastrana (UST), Cielo Pagdulagan and Angel Surada (NU), and Louna Ozar (UP), helping Gilas secure another Division A finish.

For Pastrana, now entering her final UAAP run, those international stints have been nothing short of transformative.

“Sa experience ko sa Gilas, sobrang dami nang sumusuporta sa women’s basketball,” said the UST skipper. “Doon ko naramdaman na iba na yung level, at tumaas na yung women’s basketball natin.”

That boost in visibility is part of what drives her to chase redemption after the Golden Tigresses’ painful Season 87 Finals loss to NU. More than reclaiming the crown, the 5-foot-7 guard wants to leave her mark as a leader who can push the women’s game forward.

“Yung nararamdaman ko, hindi siya pressure eh,” Pastrana shared. “Excited kaming maglaro kasi mas marami na yung sumusuporta, mas marami na yung sumisikat na players, at mas lumalabas na yung laro ng players kasi mas marami nang opportunities.”

Indeed, the growing wave of support for women’s basketball is no longer confined to one school or one program. The collective rise of UAAP teams reflects a bigger mission: building the sport’s stature for the long run.

“Yung programs ng lahat ng UAAP schools, mas lalong tumaas,” Pastrana noted. “So hopefully mas gumanda pa lalo this Season 88.”

As the tournament begins, rivalries will once again ignite—but beyond the chase for supremacy, this season carries the promise of progress. For Pastrana and her peers, it’s about proving that the momentum from Gilas can transform the UAAP into an even stronger platform for women’s basketball.

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