The Gilas Pilipinas Women made a remarkable feat by finishing 6th overall in the recently concluded FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2023 at Sydney, Australia. It is, by far, the best finish for the Philippines in the tournament’s history, almost 40 years since its 4th place finish in 1984.
The Gilas Women did not have an easy route in the tournament as they were in the same group with basketball powerhouses like Japan and Australia. In the group stage, the Gilas Women managed to bag a 1-2 win-loss record. They overpowered the Chinese Taipei (92-81) with the late game heroics of Vanessa De Jesus and veteran Afril Bernardino which marked their first win in the preliminaries since their promotion to Division A of FIBA Asia in 2015.
However, the Filipinas fell short against New Zealand in the qualification semis (78-83), and then ended their campaign at the hands of Korea (71-80). Despite losing the way they did in one of the biggest stages and brightest lights of basketball, they remained unfazed, unbothered, and were ready to take the challenge on. They caused them big problems and were pesky on both sides of the court. They remained resilient and showed a lot of promise in the team’s potential and future.
“We fell short but I’m proud of the girls, we never gave up,” said head coach Pat Aquino.
Coach Aquino has high hopes about the team being able to continue the level of play that they’re on for the upcoming tournaments.
“I think the gaps are really closing for us. I hope that we continue doing this in the future when we go back. It is a great energy for us in preparing for the next one.”
Their historic run solidified their place in the tournament. From being ranked 8th, to a 6th place conclusion with their heads hailed high and a proud Filipino heart.