After annexing the UAAP Season 85 Women’s Basketball Tournament crown – its seventh consecutive championship – National University is already looking to the future.
Not content with what they have achieved so far, the Lady Bulldogs will do everything to extend their dominance in the collegiate landscape.
Mikka Cacho may have played out her eligibility, but NU will still have the likes of Tin Cayabyab – the Season 85 Finals MVP – Camille Clarin, Angel Surada, and Karl Pingol for next season and beyond.
“No doubt kasi kitang-kita ko na,” said Cacho who produced six points, six rebounds, four steals, three assists, and one block in 17:08 minutes of action. “Sobrang kinakabahan ako nung una. Sobrang na-pe-pressure ako kasi ang daming bago, ang daming rookies. Mas maraming rookies kaysa sa aming mga luma.
“Pero nung game one pa lang, pinakitaan nila ako na talagang binigyan nila ako ng pakiramdam na dapat magtiwala ako sa kanila. Hanggang dulo talagang pinatunayan nila nandiyan sila, na hindi sila rookie!” the sharpshooting winger continued.
“Parang wala akong naramdaman na rookie this year kasi lahat sila nagpe-perform, lahat sila talented. Sobrang gagaling talaga ng mga yun kaya no doubt next year, for sure, hinding-hindi sila bibitaw ng ganun kadali and pagtatrabahuan nila yun lahat.”
Coming from the pandemic, NU – just like all of its opponents – had to prepare and adjust quickly after three years of not seeing action on the 5-on-5 floor because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another thing this current batch of Lady Bulldogs needed to adjust to was that it was Aris Dimaunahan taking charge and not Pat Aquino, who moved full-time to Gilas Pilipinas Women.
“Parang three to four months lang yung preparation namin eh. Talagang nagmadali kami. Si coach Aris nga eh, naiinis na siya. Nakikita na namin kung pano siya magalit. Pero yun nga, nagtulungan talaga kami. Hindi lang talaga bumibitaw yung bawat isa. Talagang kapit-kapit kami,” said Cacho.
“Meron ng na-da-down. Like ako, hindi ako nag-e-enjoy nung umpisa kasi sobrang ne-pe-pressure na ako. Lagi akong umiiyak sa gabi. Hindi na ako nakakatulog. Natatakot ako kasi ako yung pinakamatanda so kailangan ako yung magpapakilala ng culture sa mga bago namin,” she expresed.
“Thankful ako kasi sila mismo binuhat nila ako para makabalik ako dun sa momentum ko na ‘Ate Mikka, nandito ako sa likod mo.”
For his part, Dimaunahan also has high hopes for the future of the NU program. They already have strong holdovers and fans can expect that the school has solid recruits in the pipeline.
Lady Bulldogs such as Cacho, Jack Animam, and Afril Bernardino have shown the way. Now, it is up to their successors to maintain the Lady Bulldogs’ dominance in the UAAP landscape.
“It was a big challenge for this team. I think we have nine rookies sa roster namin. But then again they proved to everybody that they could play this game, in such a way na hindi mo mararamdaman o makikita na there are a lot of rookies in this team,” said Dimaunahan.
“Yun siguro yung commitment ng bawat isa sa amin to just play this game the right way and just play for each other. This one is huge for us kasi first year pa lang nila sa UAAP, nakaranas na sila ng ganitong experience to play in a stage wherein nasa championship sila,” the first-year head coach continued.
“For sure, malaking bagay to moving forward sa mga next year of their playing careers.”
