Pat Aquino is setting lofty expectations for the Gilas Pilipinas Women as they gear up for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup this July.
Having remained in Division A of the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup for the past eight years, the longtime national team head coach believes it’s time for the Filipinas to break new ground and make a serious push forward.
Since their promotion to Division A in 2015, the Philippines has yet to finish higher than sixth place. They placed seventh in the 2017, 2019, and 2021 editions before improving slightly with a sixth-place finish in 2023.
Now, Aquino is determined to see Gilas take the next big step.
“I always say that we have been here in Division A for eight years already, and I think we need to really compete, we’re not here just to stay, we have to compete now. That’s the main objective,” said Aquino during the Manila stop of the FIBA Asia Cup trophy tour on Monday.
Six coveted slots for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup are on the line at this year’s Asia Cup, which will be held from July 13 to 20. With only eight participating nations, every win will be crucial.
The Philippines is drawn into Pool B alongside perennial heavyweights Japan and Australia, as well as rising power Lebanon. Pool A, meanwhile, consists of China, New Zealand, South Korea, and Indonesia.
After the group stage round-robin, the top team from each pool will advance directly to the semifinals. The second and third-placed teams will battle in crossover playoffs for the two remaining semifinal spots.
A single win during the group stage could be enough to secure a place in the World Cup — an unprecedented feat for the country.
However, finishing last in the group would mean playing in a seventh-place playoff, with the loser facing relegation to Division B.
“Australia and Japan have not just been top in Asia but top of the world. Yung Lebanon is also a powerhouse in East Asia, so it’s difficult to say what we can do right now, but we’ll do our best. The girls are excited, and we just hope that everything falls into place in the coming days,” said Aquino.
“Of course, we have to aim high. We hope that we can be at that level, we have to show everybody that we can compete and perform well.”
Team veteran Monique del Carmen echoed her coach’s optimism, saying that seeing the prestigious trophy up close was all the motivation they needed to step up.
The trophy made its way from Japan and South Korea to the Philippines, where it visited several iconic locations, including the historic Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan, and multiple UAAP campuses: National University, University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines, and De La Salle University.
“Seeing the trophy so close to us, it’s like the tournament has already started against those powerhouse teams,” said Del Carmen.
“We’re just excited and hopefully we can be in the top six to qualify for the World Cup. That’s the important goal for now but we really hope that we can get the chip and we hope it stays in Manila.”
