Gilas women aim for FIBA World Cup ticket

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas women’s head coach Pat Aquino is shooting for a top six finish at the FIBA Asia Cup in Shenzhen on July 13-20 to qualify for the FIBA World Cup in Berlin on Sept. 4-13, 2026. It won’t be easy as the Philippines is bracketed with Japan, Australia and Lebanon but Aquino said a single win in the Level 1 preliminaries will nail a ticket to Berlin so the goal is doable.

There will be 24 teams in the FIBA World Cup and six will qualify from the FIBA Asia Cup. The Gilas women’s team has never played in the FIBA World Cup since its inception in 1953. The Philippines finished sixth in the last FIBA Asia Cup and retaining the position in Shenzhen will mark a historic march to the FIBA World Cup. Australia is ranked No. 2 in the world and Japan, No. 9 so the Philippines will be hard-pressed to beat either. Lebanon was No. 7 in the last FIBA Asia Cup and stands in the way of Gilas’ World Cup debut.

Gilas has started practice thrice a week at the PhilSports Arena. “We’re practicing with who’s available but expecting more to come from the UAAP players and Fil-Ams we invited,” he said. “I’m hoping we’ll be complete by the end of May or early June.”

Team mainstay Jack Animam will fly in late next month after finishing her season in Romania. Animam, 26, is averaging 19.9 points and 13.6 rebounds in 16 games for Arad in the Romanian league where she plays as an import. Duke University’s 5-8 Vanessa de Jesus will be Gilas’ naturalized player as although she is a full-blooded Filipina, the crack guard was born in the US and received her Philippine passport after turning 16. Other Fil-Ams in the Gilas roster are 5-8 Sumayah Sugapong of the University of California at San Diego, 6-foot Gabby Ramos of the University of Nevada, 5-5 Ella Fajardo of Iona University and 5-7 Naomi Panganiban of San Diego State.

The locals in the pool so far are Animam, Khate Castillo, Angel Surada, Louna Ozar, Camille Nolasco, Cielo Pagdulagan, Trina Guytingco, Monique del Carmen, Chack Cabinbin and Andrea Tongco. Afril Bernardino and Janine Pontejos are awaiting clearance from their military units to join Gilas in Shenzhen.