Batangas–New Zealand Bluefire will gun for solo leadership when they take on first-round tormentor Biñan–Tatak Gel to open the second phase of the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League regular season today at the Alonte Sports Arena.
The Valkyries, currently locked in a three-way tie with the Angels and Akari-Rizal, will look to separate themselves from the pack and strengthen their bid for a higher spot in the standings.
Batangas–New Zealand Bluefire will square off against Biñan–Tatak Gel, the team that handed them an 83–79 defeat last April 15, as they seek redemption at 6 p.m. Meanwhile, RK Hoops–Quezon City 10ACT will face Pasig earlier at 4 p.m. in the curtain raiser.
Valkyries head coach Cholo Villanueva acknowledged that the second round will be tougher for his squad, now carrying the target as defending champions, but stressed the importance of staying prepared and focused as they eye a revenge win over Biñan–Tatak Gel.
“It’s gonna be a tougher road for us dun sa second round because we’re a marked team and they know what we are doing offensively and defensively,” said Villanueva.
“So there’s more work ahead of us heading into that second round. We just need to come in prepared and focused, especially since we want to get back at Biñan for that loss in the first round,” he added.
Jil Talas, who has been a key contributor off the bench with her deadly outside shooting, will once again be counted on alongside reigning MVP Afril Bernardino and Snow Peñaranda as Batangas–New Zealand Bluefire looks to extend its winning run to four games in the tournament supported by Aktive.
But Biñan–Tatak Gel will also be out to reassert itself after a strong start that saw them win their first four games before suffering an 86–80 setback to the Sparks last April 17, aiming to regain momentum heading into the crucial stretch.
Leading Biñan–Tatak Gel are key players Chack Cabinbin, Monique Del Carmen, and Eka Soriano, who are expected to spearhead the team’s response as they look to bounce back and re-establish their winning rhythm.
(C) WMPBL
Meanwhile, RK Hoops–Quezon City 10ACT and Queenpin, who are tied with Caloocan with identical 1–4 records, will both be chasing their second win of the tournament as they open the day’s action, with each side eager to build momentum and gain a crucial advantage in the race for the fourth seed.
Tantoy Ferrer will be tasked to carry much of the scoring load for RK Hoops–Quezon City 10ACT as they aim to snap a three-game skid, while Pasig, led by Gabi Bade, will also look to halt their own three-game slide in what shapes up to be a crucial matchup for both sides. 
