Defending champion Batangas–New Zealand Bluefire imposed its will early and never looked back, handing Rizal-Akari its first loss, 72–56, in the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League regular season on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The matchup was technically a rematch of last season’s finals, with the Sparks now fielding the former Discovery core that previously reached the championship stage.
But the Valkyries had the final say, stretching their run to back-to-back wins and improving to a 3–1 record in the tournament backed by Aktive.
(C) WMPBL
“Of course Akari is a very strong team in this tournament. They are very structured, well-organized team because they are well-coached so it’s a big win for us,” said Batangas–New Zealand Bluefire head coach Cholo Villanueva.
Behind Snow Peñaranda, the Valkyries seized control early, building a 39–22 halftime cushion over Akari that proved more than enough as they dictated the tempo the rest of the way.
The lead held steady as Batangas–New Zealand leaned on the steady two-way play of Afril Bernardino, Khate Castillo, and Jill Talas to keep the Sparks at bay and close out the win.
Castillo led the Valkyries with 16 points, while Peñaranda added 15 points and eight rebounds.
Bernardino produced a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Talas and Camille Claro chipped in 10 and eight points, respectively, in the convincing victory.
(C) WMPBL
Akari slipped to 2–1 after being largely stifled offensively and struggling to find rhythm against Batangas–New Zealand’s defense.
Allana Lim paced the Sparks with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while LJ Candelario and Shemiah Abatayo added 10 and nine points, respectively.
Raiza Palmera-Dy was held to just two points on 1-of-8 shooting from the field.
The Scores:
Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire 72 — Castillo 16, Peñaranda 15, Bernardino 12, Talas 10, Claro 8, Lozada 5, Tongco 2, Calang 2, Torres 0, Bariquit 0
Rizal-Akari 56 – Lim 12, Candelario 10, Abatayo 9, Prado 8, Ventura 6, Angeles 5, Anies 3, Palmera-Dy 2, Sambile 1, Villasin 0, Galicia 0
Quarterscores: 20-13, 39-22, 52-40, 72-56
