Winless Gilas women feel like winners after biggest stint to date

The Philippines crashed out of the Fiba Women’s World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Rwanda, ending its campaign without a single win.

But national coach Pat Aquino feels that the squad is coming back home with something that couldn’t be quantified on the stat sheets.

“It was our first time to play against a South American team, an African team, and a [European team]—so it’s already an honor to represent our part of the world and be here,” he said shortly after an 87-62 beating at the hands of Senegal on Thursday night.

“I know we fell short, but this experience, the learnings that we had here, make us proud,” the longtime women’s team mentor added.

The Gilas Women, overwhelming underdogs for being undersized and undermanned, looked poised to posting an upset in its world stage debut after making Brazil sweat in their encounter last Monday that got Group C play going.

Just fell short

The Philippines bowed, 77-74, to a country ranked eighth on the planet.

“The key was to play together and to show how this part of the world could play with his part of the world,” Aquino said, responding to a foreign reporter who, during the postgame presser, expressed his appreciation for the gutsy Philippine squad that also tested Hungary and Senegal before running out of steam.

Naomi Panganiban, the 18-year-old standout who was integral in the youth team’s recent campaigns, was teary-eyed over the winless campaign. But she also found a reason to be grateful for the week that was.

“I definitely learned from my teammates, older sisters, to fight ‘til the end,” she said. “We always talked about fighting, giving it our best and I think we did a pretty good job at doing that the whole tournament.

“As far as something I could get better at—reading the defense and being patient. I think I could do a better job at [those]. I think I can help out more with that,” she added.

The Philippines played with only 6-foot-5 ace Jack Danielle Animam as its only towering presence in the middle. Kacey dela Rosa was the next biggest player for the Nationals, but standing at 6 feet wasn’t going to cut it in a field littered with big, physical players.

That should be an angle the Gilas Women’s leadership should be exploring as it navigates its future.

The Inquirer has recently learned that University of the Philippines standout Favour Onoh, a prime candidate for naturalization, has suffered a ligament tear in her knee. Without an able big alongside Animam, Gilas is likely going to encounter struggles on the world stage.

For now, the Gilas women will have to make the most out of the moral victory from this campaign.

“The things we’ve learned from here—you’re never gonna pick them up anywhere,” said Aquino. “We hope that we continue to be here, and with the support of the [Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas] … we hope that we could do more from here in the future.”