With the 19th Asian Games in mind, national team coach Patrick Aquino wants the Jones Cup-bound squad to be comprised of “different players.”
“Just like what I’ve said, we’re preparing for the coming Asian Games, so I want to see who among them can be included as well,” said Aquino, who will call the shots when the Philippines competes in the annual Cagefest in Taiwan starting 5 August.
Malia Bambrick and Kacey dela Rosa of Ateneo will be the latest inclusion in the Gilas team.
A solid Division 1 player in the United States while playing for Long Beach State, Bambrick is a 5-foot-10 combo guard who averaged 11.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and a 33.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
A former Rookie of the Year in the Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines, Dela Rosa, teammate of Jhazmin Joson at Ateneo, averaged in double-double of 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 blocks last year while serving as the pillar of strength of the Lady Eagles.
But the Gilas crew will miss Mikka Cacho, Angel Surada and Clare Castro, who have prior commitments with their respective collegiate teams.
Castro, the tallest player in the team at 6-foot-4, didn’t play in the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup recently and will also skip the coming Jones Cup.
But Gilas women will have a bunch of returning players to choose from.
Gabi Bade, daughter of former Philippine Basketball Association and Metropolitan Basketball Association player Cris Bade, will be coming back since helping the team in winning the Southeast Asian Games gold medal in Hanoi last year.
Also included in the team are mainstays Jack Animam, Afril Bernardino and Janine Pontejos, and returning players Monique del Carmen, Louna Ozar, Jhazmin Joson, Andrea Tongco, Stephanie Berberabe and Sofia Roman.
Due to their commitment to their respective college teams, Ella Fajardo, Vanessa de Jesus, Cammile Clarín and Ange Surada were not included even as Khate Castillo is conspicuously missing.
The Asian Games will take place from 25 September to 8 October in Hangzhou, China.
