Gilas Pilipinas Women want to strengthen their chemistry when they participate in the 44th William Jones Cup in Chinese Taipei from 2 to 6 July.
Head coach Pat Aquino said they are using the annual competition to help them not only execute their plays but also get a good feel for one another inside the court.
The Philippines is planning to use the Jones Cup as a testing ground for the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup from 13 to 20 July in Shenzhen, China.
“I guess it’s all about jelling together because they haven’t seen each other but they do know one another,” Aquino said.
“I know the kids are very excited, very eager and willing to do everything inside the court.”
The Philippines will be facing Japan, Thailand, South Korea, hosts Chinese Taipei, and another Taiwanese team in WUG CTUSF Training.
Last year saw the Philippines finish fourth with a 2-3 win-loss record.
With veterans Afril Bernardino, Andrea Tongco, Janine Pontejos, and Chack Cabinbin looking uncertain to join the crew this year due to pending clearances from their military duties, the Jones Cup will be a perfect stage for the Filipina cagers to test their readiness for the FIBA Asia Cup.
Apart from Gilas Women mainstays like Jack Animam, Ella Fajardo, Monique del Carmen, they also have the likes of Naomi Panganiban, Kent Pastrana and Vanessa de Jesus fortifying the squad as they gun for a top six finish in the Asia Cup.
Only the top six teams in the biggest basketball showpiece in Asia will earn slots for the qualifying tournaments of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
While Bernardino’s fate remains unknown, she is confident that the current squad has what it takes to compete against the best teams in Asia like China, Japan and Australia.