Playoff action begins as the 2025 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League quarterfinals tip off on Sunday at the Enderun Gym, with Tagaytay-Tol and Discovery Rizal holding a twice-to-beat advantage and their opponents determined to stay alive and force a win-or-go-home showdown.
Headlining the quarterfinal double-header is the clash between Tagaytay-Tol and Pangasinan-Solar Home at 6 p.m. — a matchup brimming with intrigue after the two teams split their regular season series in the tournament presented by Akari.
The Suns took the first round, 79-73, before the Patriots roared back with a 72-58 win in the second, powered by Stefanie Berberabe’s historic quadruple double, in the tournament backed by Uratex, Black Mamba, Red Dynasty, Aktive Balls, and Pocari Sweat.
Tagaytay-Tol will once again rely on its dynamic backcourt anchored by Berberabe, the do-it-all guard whose energy and court vision set the tone for the Patriots, and Luisa San Juan, the steady sniper who has rediscovered her rhythm after a rough stretch in the middle of the season.
“Malaking bagay na may kumpiyansa na siya, kasi nakukumpleto ‘yung atake namin eh. Kulang kasi kami sa scoring sa four and five positions, kaya siya talaga ‘yung missing link,” said Patriots head coach Tito Reyes, praising San Juan’s renewed confidence and the balance she brings to the Patriots’ offense.
On the other side, Pangasinan-Solar Home banks on the fiery play of Gabi Bade, a versatile and fearless guard, alongside Hazelle Yam, who has been steadily regaining her form after missing a bulk of the preliminaries, as they look to strip Tagaytay-Tol of their twice-to-beat armor.
“Going to the quarters, hopefully madala namin ‘yung nilaro namin sa [last game] ng regular season,” said Suns head coach PJ Navarro.
In the first game, the twice-to-beat Perlas kick off the quarterfinal double-header at 4 p.m. against RK Hoops-Quezon City, eager to make a statement after missing an outright semifinal berth when they failed to secure the required 16-point winning margin and instead fell to New Zealand-Blufire, 69-72, in the final game of the regular season.
Discovery-Rizal is out to channel that frustration into fuel as it looks to capitalize on its twice-to-beat edge and move one step closer to redemption, leaning on veterans Tantoy Ferrer, Allana Lim, and Raiza Palmera-Dy to lead the charge.
On paper, it looks like a walk in the park for the heavily favored Perlas, but RK Hoops-Quezon City — entering the quarterfinals on a nine-game losing skid — hopes to turn its struggles into motivation and pull off a stunning upset behind the trio of Kristina Dela Cruz, Caryl Molina, and Danica Docallos.
Backed by a star-studded cast, Discovery-Rizal is favored to control the matchup, having swept RK Hoops-Quezon City in both their regular season meetings by an average margin of 39 points, though the latter hopes its grit and cohesion can level the field against the more seasoned Perlas.
