The Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League officially begins its first foray into the professional ranks with a six-team lineup, promising a well-balanced and competitive tournament.
Set to compete in the 2025 regular season are: Discovery-Rizal Perlas, New Zealand Blufire-Batangas Valkyries, San Juan Lady Knights, Tagaytay-Tol Patriots, Solar-Pangasinan Home Suns, and RK Hoops-Quezon City.
The league’s inaugural event was an invitational tournament featuring 14 teams, ultimately won by the Pilipinas Aguilas after an epic three-game finals series against the University of Santo Tomas.
This time, the WMPBL is going fully professional — no amateur players will be allowed.
Backed by Uratex, Black Mamba, Red Dynasty, Aktive Balls, and Pocari Sweat, the league aims to create a stable and long-term home for women’s basketball professionals in the country.
“The first tournament we had was about creating a community and a home for both upstart players and veterans. Now, we will start with six pro teams, which were carefully vetted by our technical team headed by Commissioner Haydee Ong,” said WMPBL President John Kallos.
“The goal this time is that all teams and the league are sustainable for our team owners and players.”
The tournament will tip off on Sunday, June 29, at the historic Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The full schedule and final rosters are set to be released next week.
All games will be held under the supervision of the Games and Amusements Board and will take place every Wednesday and Sunday at 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM, airing live on Solar Sports.
“Our goal is not to present roadblocks to your plans. We’re here to ensure that everything proceeds smoothly,” assured GAB Chairman Atty. Francisco J. Rivera during a meeting with WMPBL officials.
The tournament will feature a double round-robin format. At the end of the elimination round, the top two teams will automatically advance to the semifinals.
Meanwhile, the third and fourth-seeded squads will hold a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals against the fifth and sixth-ranked teams.
Both the semifinals and finals will be played in a best-of-three series format.
