Three years ago, then UP Lady Maroon Karen Salapong stopped playing varsity-level basketball. Though she had always dreamed of playing professionally since she was young, Salapong also had to prepare for her future.
Not that she had been skeptical, but Salapong knew at that time there weren’t that much post-college opportunities for women’s basketball players like her. She had to be realistic about her immediate future, so she focused on completing an academic degree.
“Since I was a kid naman, alam ko na rin na hanggang college lang yung basketball ng women’s so I pursued din makatapos ng degree. Studies first kumbaga, pero I always dreamed of playing professionally. Sino ba namang hindi,” Salapong said.
Salapong graduated with a degree in sports science in 2014 and went on to become a teacher at a Caloocan-based college. But, as fate would have it, Salapong remained glued to the game.
“I’m a teacher and coach. In order to motivate and push my players, I had to stay focused on the game maski hindi na ako masyadong nagte-training. I stayed fit,” Salapong shared.
Aside from coaching, Salapong joined small tournaments left and right. Then, an opportunity she hadn’t previously envisioned came her way and made her rekindle her passion for hoops.
“The moment we heard about the 3×3, yung first leg pa nga lang nanghihinayang kami hindi kami nakapagtry-out. Nung nalaman naming may second pa, syempre rare opportunity to so kailangan i-grab,” Salapong said.
Photo courtesy of PBA Images
“Finally, mayroon nang professional league for women’s although 3-on-3, still, malaking bagay para sa amin.”
Salapong joined Sarah Mercado, Diwa Paz, and Jaclyn Cruz to banner the Tropang TNT women’s team in the on-going PBA-Tag Heuer 3-on-3 women’s basketball tournament.
Last Wednesday, the 23-year-old wing played one of her best games in the tournament, when TNT took down Blackwater, 15-10. Salapong scored three long-range shots early on, en route to finishing with seven points to lead her squad. The win pushed TNT to a 2-1 record, good for second place so far in Group B.
“We all know na sila yung unbeaten, so yung preparation namin, we took it seriously. Even yung preparation before magsimula yung 3×3, we already took it seriously. And after a tough loss last game, we really prepared for it. Knowing sila yung defending champion, we really prepared,” Salapong said.
With a rare shot at coveting basketball spotlight, and having been waiting for an opportunity like this to happen for so long, Salapong and the rest of the team are now focused on winning the crown. They even hope for the sport to grow in the country for more people to recognize the talent Filipinas have in basketball.
“Siyempre dito, we really want to win the championship. This is a big thing for us. Competitors kami sa UAAP then dito nagsama-sama kami. And definitely, we are aiming for the 5-on-5 na, a real league na for the women kasi sayang naman yung talent ng mga babae.”
