Eerily similar to the journey of women’s basketball athletes in the Philippines, Sabrina Ionescu’s rise to stardom in the WNBA and across the globe was filled with challenges and obstacles.
Before winning the 2024 WNBA title, the New York Liberty fell short in the 2023 championship against the Las Vegas Aces, where Ionescu was limited to just 9.8 points on 31.6 percent shooting from the field.
A comparable narrative surrounds Ateneo de Manila University women’s basketball star Kacey Dela Rosa. Despite her stacked individual accolades, one major achievement remains elusive for the two-time UAAP MVP: a collegiate championship.
If there’s one key lesson Dela Rosa intends to carry forward in Ateneo’s bid to end its 20-year title drought, it’s Ionescu’s unwavering winning mentality — the belief that no matter what challenges an athlete faces, one must never stop striving to achieve their personal goals and aspirations.
The past 48 hours have been nothing short of eventful for Dela Rosa. She first took part in Ionescu’s exclusive basketball camp at the Nike Courtyard in Bonifacio Global City. Then, she led Ateneo to victory in the TITAN Show Her Love title.
Finally, she capped it off by playing with and against Ionescu during the Showcase Match at the SMART Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday.
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“If there’s one lesson, yun yung don’t stop until makuha niyo talaga yung gusto niyo. Gaya ng sa championship tulad ni Sabrina before, three years na kami nagta-try sa championship pero kulang pa rin. Don’t stop until you reach your dreams talaga,” Dela Rosa told Tiebreaker Times.
“Yung nakalaro ko si Sabrina, nakalaban ko siya, at naging teammate ko rin. Naano ko rin na malayo pa talaga ako sa gusto kong marating sa career ko. Isa pa sa nadala ko, parang enjoy the game lang. Kahit ano mangyari at kahit mainit yung laban, huwag kalimutan na maging masaya lang sa game.”
The same mindset resonates with Gilas Women legend turned coach Janine Pontejos, who also participated in the Showcase Match alongside La Salle’s Luisa San Juan, New Zealand-Blufire’s Khate Castillo, PBA sharpshooter Marcio Lassiter, and Ionescu herself.
Following her illustrious stint with the Philippine women’s basketball team, Pontejos transitioned to coaching at her alma mater, Centro Escolar University, in the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
While the Lady Scorpions’ journey in the WMPBL has been far from smooth, Pontejos remains confident that the lessons learned from an Olympic gold medalist like Ionescu serve as a powerful reminder that Filipino athletes are capable of achieving greatness.
“As a head coach, sinasabi ko sa kanila palagi na manood kayo ng WNBA at international na laro para mas mainspire sila at mas malevel up yung mga laro nila. Sinama ko rin yung ibang players ko dito para makita nila kung papaano sila mainspire yung sarili nila galing kay Sabrina,” Pontejos told reporters.
After her media availability at The Peninsula Manila and the launch of the Nike Sabrina 2 x Titan, Ionescu headed straight to the Big Dome for a Showcase Match between Team Laban and Team Puso.
Team Laban featured team captain and Magnolia guard Paul Lee alongside Meralco’s Chris Newsome, Ginebra center Japeth Aguilar, and UP forward Louna Ozar.
Team Puso, on the other hand, was led by captain LA Tenorio, Dela Rosa, Rhenz Abando, and Camille Clarin.
With Ionescu switching sides — playing for Team Laban in the first half and Team Puso in the final 15 minutes — Tenorio’s Team Puso held firm to secure a 79-69 victory.
In a surprising twist, Castillo (19 points) edged out Ionescu (16 points) in the three-point contest. This result was particularly remarkable given that Ionescu holds the record for the highest single-round score in a three-point contest across both the WNBA and NBA with 37 points.
Earlier in the day, Dela Rosa teamed up with Junize Calago to power Ateneo over rival school UP Fighting Maroons in the TITAN Show Her Love Tournament Finals.
Ionescu will conclude her three-day Manila tour with a visit to Sacred Heart Academy in Sta. Maria, Bulacan, for the Girls Got Game Home Court program.
She will then head to Hong Kong and China to complete the Asia leg of her inaugural Nike tour.
