Unlike past iterations of Perlas Pilipinas, head coach Patrick Aquino will have plenty of fresh faces vying for the 12 spots on the team who will represent the country in the 2019 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup and, later this year, the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
Since March, the best and finest of Philippine women’s basketball have converged inside the Aero Center Gym in Quezon City.
“I’m just excited.
“Half of our team are veterans and half are new. The ages are young, which is very exciting dahil nandun yung hussle. I’m just glad that they are here serving the country,” expressed Aquino.
Joining National Team veterans Afril Bernardino, Jack Animam, Clare Castro, Janine Pontejos, Andrea Tongco, Snow Penaranda, and Gemma Miranda are the likes of 6-foot UCLA guard Kelli Hayes; La Salle duo Camille Claro and Khate Castillo; Ateneo towers Danica Jose and Tina Deacon; Ateneo gunner Hazel Yam; UP super scorer Bea Daez; UE’s burly forward Eunique Chan; NU’s floor general Ria Nabalan; Fil-Am Camille Clarin.
With seventeen players in the pool so far and four more Filipino-Americans coming in come July, the long-time national team mentor and current women’s basketball program director is looking to shock the continent come the Asia Cup in September.
“This is the biggest pool we have.
“We have been scouted by the other teams and if they see this new group, sasabihin nila, it’s a new team. If they just play as hard, I know they can win gold for us,” he continued.
Two years ago, Perlas finished in seventh place in the continental meet, while failing to make the podium in the last two SEA Games.
Perlas are set to go to Chinese-Taipei for a six-day training camp and will return there in July for the Jones Cup.
From there, Aquino will start to trim the pool in preparation for the Women’s Asia Cup – a pre-qualifier to the OQT.
“The thing is, I’m having a hard time picking this group dahil sobrang laki.
“May mga hindi ako mapipili, but I already told them na they understand our situation. It’s for the country. Hopefully, yung pieces namin sa puzzle would fit,” he shared.
