Ilongga Pingol poised to win the UAAP Women’s hoops MVP title

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Ilongga Karl Ann Pingol is set to be named as this season’s UAAP Women’s Basketball Most Valuable Player (MVP), confirmed on Nov. 27, 2025.

The pride of Pototan, Iloilo, and the cornerstone of the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs amassed a total of 93.571 statistical points (SP) after the first two elimination rounds, overtaking Ateneo’s superstar, Kacey dela Rosa, who garnered 91.429 SPs.

Aiming to reach a personal UAAP milestone for a third consecutive UAAP women’s basketball MVP recognition, dela Rosa was poised to turn her plans into reality when she led the race halfway through Season 88.

However, the do-it-all Ilongga spoiled her aspirations, putting up stellar numbers in the second round of the UAAP elimination phase to lead all players in the MVP race.

Pingol did it in a dominant way when she recorded back-to-back triple-double performances against Adamson University and De La Salle University (DLSU).

Last Nov. 8, Pingol boosted her chances of dethroning dela Rosa, spearheading NU’s one-sided dub over Adamson with an all-around brilliance of 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.

Pingol played a redefined quarterback role during NU’s surge, directing traffic to locate the wide-open shooters while also anchoring the paint that piled up the Lady Bulldogs’ defensive boards.

In the first four offensive sets of NU, Pingol initiated them all, converting a tough layup while tallying two assists that set the tone for the Lady Bulldogs.

Meanwhile, against DLSU, Pingol tallied 12 markers, 11 boards, and 11 dimes, en route to a convincing rundown victory for the Lady Bulldogs.

With Pingol’s resurgence in the second elimination round, the Lady Bulldogs concluded the regular season with a 12-2 win-loss record to secure the no. 2 seed in the upcoming Final Four playoffs.