Gilas Women unveil roster for Olympic pre-qualifying tournament

Kacey dela Rosa, Jack Animam, and Vanessa de Jesus headline the Gilas Pilipinas Women’s final 12-player roster for the FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament from Aug. 17–23 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas announced the final lineup from its training pool, with the veteran core of Animam, Janine Pontejos, and Afril Bernardino leading a mix of established players and young talent.

Longtime national team stalwarts Angel Surada, Monique del Carmen, and Jhaz Joson are also in the lineup, along with Filipino American guard de Jesus.

Up-and-coming center dela Rosa is expected to provide an inside presence alongside Animam, while University of the Philippines standout Louna Ozar also earned a spot on new head coach Burke “BT” Toews’ roster.

Two-time UAAP champion Kent Pastrana and youngsters Sophia Dignadice and Alyssa Rodriguez complete the 12-woman team.

The Philippines, ranked No. 30 in the FIBA World Ranking used for the tournament draw, landed in Group B with No. 7 Canada, No. 22 Senegal, and host Mexico, ranked No. 31.

Group A consists of Brazil, Argentina, New Zealand, and South Sudan, completing an eight-team field in Guadalajara.

Each team will play its three group opponents in a single round-robin format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals and only the tournament champion securing a berth in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in February 2028 on the road to the Los Angeles Olympics.

During an intimate lunch with media Thursday, Toews discussed his players and their preparations for an uphill assignment in Mexico that includes a matchup with top-10 opponent Canada and another difficult challenge against the host nation.

“I think they’re super excited. I think the practices are probably different than they’re used to. I feel like a lot of players are sore, which is always a good thing,” said Toews.

The Canada-born coach, who joined the team only two months before the tournament, lamented key absences caused by injuries and other commitments but said Gilas will have to compensate with efficient shot-making against opponents who have had more time to develop chemistry.

“We have a big hole with Sumayah [Sugapong] and Naomi [Panganiban] not being here. That’s the two positions, and they happen to be our best shooters as well. So even though we’re a smaller team, I feel like the shooting level is still low,” admitted Toews.

“They’re not shy about taking them, but what we really want is efficient three-point shots, not just jacking shots up and hoping we can survive it to the fourth quarter. We want to get good shots, and that’s been a big success so far.”

The longtime basketball tactician also stressed the importance of moving the ball quickly and building an offense suited to a Philippine team that expects to surrender size against several opponents.

Toews hopes Gilas can compensate by flowing seamlessly in transition, outrunning opposing defenses, and creating easier scoring opportunities before defenses have time to set.

“We’re trying to get a lot of shots in transition when the defense is not set, and we’re running stuff where players know where the pass should go,” he said.

“At the same time, you don’t spend, you know, a coach can’t call every play, can’t stop and set things up. So what we really need is to be efficient in a kind of a motion game where it’s not just isolation.”

As he continues installing his system, Toews said he remains confident the players can adjust and refine their game plan as they gain more time together.

The Guadalajara tournament is also part of a broader program under Toews, whose initial campaign with Gilas Pilipinas Women is set to run through the 2027 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in Cebu next year.

“Of course. We are building towards that. If we’re honest here, we’re building towards that. It would be great to win the Olympic pre-qualifying tournament in Mexico, but that’s going to be a huge hurdle for us,” Toews said.

“You know, there will be some steps forward and some steps backward. It happens in basketball. But the long-range plan is to be the best team we can be in the Asia Cup.”

Before traveling to Guadalajara, Gilas Pilipinas Women are scheduled to hold a five-day training camp in Las Vegas to fine-tune their preparations.

The Philippines will open Group B play against Mexico on Aug. 17, then face world No. 7 Canada before concluding the group stage against Senegal, with the competition taking place at Arena Astros in Guadalajara.