Following a subpar showing in the preliminaries, Khate Castillo has rediscovered her shooting touch at the most crucial time, giving New Zealand Bluefire-Batangas an added offensive weapon as it heads into the 2025 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Finals.
Castillo, who missed the first three games of the opening round, averaged just 6.71 points in seven appearances during the preliminaries.
It was a far cry from her usual numbers that have cemented her reputation as one of the country’s top shooters and a dependable Gilas Pilipinas standout.
But the former De La Salle University gunner seemed to have found her rhythm in the semifinals, posting 18.5 points on 4.5 triples per game in their two-game sweep of Tagaytay-Tol.
For Castillo, her resurgence boiled down to confidence — and, more importantly, the trust given to her by Valkyries head coach Cholo Villanueva, her former mentor with the Lady Archers, which allowed her to play with freedom and rhythm once again.
(C) WMPBL
“Kumpyansa lang sa sarili. Kasi ‘yun naman ‘yung sinasabi namin sa lahat eh, kahit si coach Cholo ‘yun ‘yung sinasabi sa’min. Lalo si coach Cholo, sabi sa’kin ‘Kahit sumablay ka itira mo lang, ‘wag kang mailang,’” said Castillo.
“Sobrang importante kasi nung elims hindi ako maka-shoot eh. Kasi siyempre galing akong injury, so sobrang naiilang ako. Ngayon, sinabi nga ng coaches, lalo si coach Cholo, na ilaro ko lang kung ano ‘yung laro ko. Kung hindi ako maka-shoot, gumawa ako ng play para sa teammates ko,” she added.
Villanueva echoed the importance of Castillo’s resurgence, stressing how crucial it is for New Zealand Bluefire-Batangas to have her back in rhythm — especially with a tough Finals series against Discovery-Rizal looming on Sunday at 4:00 PM at the Villar Coliseum.
He also lauded Castillo’s work ethic and fighting spirit, noting that her resilience through injury and early struggles made her return to form even more meaningful.
“Very, very important. This, I think, is her breakout season coming from that first season. She’s getting her rhythm — it’s the Khate Castillo that I developed when she was in La Salle, when she played for the national team,” said Villanueva.
“Slowly, she’s showing her shooting prowess here in the pro leagues. She’s been working on her game, that’s why I think she’s now getting the fruits of her labor — doing extra shots, extra movements, things that she can use on the floor. It’s just good that it’s finally showing now in the games.”
