Camille Ramos was the 39th and last pick in the Chooks-to-Go Women’s National Basketball League Draft last Saturday.
Despite being picked last, the 28-year-old guard out of La Salle is just glad to find a home league after playing in numerous weekend leagues since graduating college.
“I was excited because it’s been my dream for our country to have a pro basketball league for women.
“It was a vision that I always prayed for. When I took up Masters in Marketing Communications in DLSU, my final marketing campaign was for a women’s professional basketball league. I was nervous because even though I was already content with my goal of having a league of our own, the little girl inside me still dreamt of making it,” said Ramos.
With over 150-plus dreamers eyeing selection by four teams, the tension was high for the applicants awaiting every announcement of WNBL Executive Vice President Rhose Montreal.
For Ramos, though, the timing of her selection could not be more dramatic.
“As the draft picks were being called, and slowly my chances were getting slim, I had mixed emotions. I was so happy for my friends getting in. I messaged Nicky Garcia right away when I heard her name because I knew she wanted it so bad. But at the same time my heart also hoped for myself,” said the 28-year-old.
“The twelfth round came and it was the last set of picks for all four teams. I was slowly losing hope but prayed to God and thanked Him for this league and whatever His plan for me is, I will take it. I closed my eyes when Ms. Rhose was about to announce the last pick and the only thing I was able to do was to cry when I heard my name finally called. It was crazy but I’ll take that spot any time.”
There is an additional sense of fulfillment for Ramos as she embarks on her journey as a professional cager.
Her father, former Blackwater head coach and current Pampanga head tactician Bong Ramos, is one of the most prominent names in the local basketball scene thanks to his stints in the PBA and foreign leagues. It is through him that she found inspiration to learn the sport.
“Having Coach Bong Ramos as a dad has pressure in it, but not the negative kind of pressure. I have this zeal to try to do my best. It’s not because he’s a coach but because he’s my dad. And like most kids, I want my dad to be proud of me,” said the 5-foot-1 hooper.
“I got the love for basketball from him, watching him coach both training and live games. He is the main reason I fell in love with the game.”
Ramos’s biggest career highlight so far must be her part in the La Salle team that defeated National University in the UAAP Season 76 Women’s Basketball finals. That outcome marked the last crown of the Lady Archers in the said division, as well as the Lady Bulldogs’ last defeat.
“Having that championship experience has taught me to be disciplined and not to take things for granted. I have applied this in my work even if it is not basketball. It’s the DLSU training that helped me do things with excellence in mind. I am a team player and I do the role the coach asks me to,” she said.
“Winning is preparation and whatever we do during training is how we will play during the game. So for me, practice is a serious endeavor, and listening well and applying what the coach teaches is important. And of course, to stay connected with God.”
After her college days, the Sports Studies graduate competed in the short-lived PBA Women’s 3×3 competition with the Alaska Aces and San Miguel Beermen. The tournament started in 2015, but quickly got shelved the following year. It was a big blow for female players like Ramos, but she just took it in her stride.
“I really enjoyed my stint in the PBA Women’s 3×3, it was a sign of hope.
“So even if it shut down, I was still hoping that one day there would be a league for us. I didn’t lose hope because I saw not just women, but people working hard and doing whatever they can to show support for lady ballers,” she said.
Just like other players, Ramos plans to balance duties as a baller on the court with earning a living outside of it.
Having faced adversities last year due to losing her job and coaching gigs because of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she is now working in a Singaporean multinational technology company that focuses mainly on e-commerce.
“Women ballers do not have the same opportunities as our male counterparts who have humongous salaries. A good education is an excellent back-up plan for a day job or a business opportunity,” said the off guard, who will join fellow Lasallians Nicky Garcia, Camille Claro, and Khate Castillo in Glutagence.
“I plan to balance a career outside of basketball while being a pro at the WNBL while it is still in the progressive stage. And I am free during weekends where the games are scheduled. Time management is what I plan to do. It’s like college all over again. It won’t be easy but I cannot let this opportunity pass me by.”
