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Excitement brews for Animam-Dela Rosa team-up, Fil-Ams in Gilas Women

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Levi Joshua Verora Jr

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Ateneo center Kacey dela Rosa. UAAP Media/File." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/08/02/uaap-wbb-kacey-dela-rosa-(ateneo)-(2).jpg"/><figcaption>Ateneo center Kacey dela Rosa. <em>UAAP Media/File.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA -- There is an unprecedented level of excitement brewing at the Gilas Pilipinas Women&#x27;s training camp, as Jack Animam and Kacey Dela Rosa finally team up along with returning Filipino-Americans for the William Jones Cup women&#x27;s tournament in Taiwan slated from August 5 to 9.</p><p>The Gilas Women mainstay and budding Ateneo de Manila University women&#x27;s basketball center join forces to create a formidable Philippine frontcourt combination.</p><p>&quot;I love it. With the two bigs playing together, it doesn&#x27;t expose me anymore na may maliliit ako,&quot; head coach Patrick Aquino said Tuesday after the team&#x27;s practice session.</p><p>&quot;More or less, we can match up with [opponents] with Jack and Kacey. I feel we have rim protectors already and defensively, the adjustment is not going to be extensive.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/01/23/jack-animam-signs-with-wcba-team-wuhan-shengfan">Jack Animam signs with WCBA team Wuhan Shengfan</a></li></ul><p>The UAAP Season 85 women&#x27;s basketball Rookie of the Year, Dela Rosa has been part of Gilas Women&#x27;s pool since early this year. She played in the Manila Hustle 3x3 as a late replacement for Animam, who had inked up a deal with French club Toulouse Metropole at the time.</p><p>Aside from the two bigs, included the 12-player selection for the Jones Cup are returning Fil-Ams Gabi Bade, Stefanie Berberabe, and Sofia Roman, and first-timer Malia Bambrick of Long Beach State University.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CvZBvTdrFTC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"> </div><div 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</div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><div style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CvZBvTdrFTC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Gilas Pilipinas Women (@gilaspilipinas_women)</a></div></div></blockquote><div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>The 23-year-old Bambrick averaged 11.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in her super senior year. She previously played four years for Pepperdine University, where he holds the fourth all-time record in three-pointers made with 165.</p><p>&quot;I’m extremely happy. I feel like it’s a long time coming. It’s nice to finally be here, to practice, and to get to be a part of the team,&quot; the Santa Clarita, California native said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/03/31/23/gilas-womens-sofia-roman-proud-of-new-wave-of-fil-foreigners">Gilas Women&#x27;s Sofia Roman proud of new wave of Fil-foreigners</a></li></ul><p>Bade, who first saw action for Gilas Women in the 2019 Jones Cup and has since won a SEA Games gold medal during the 2022 edition in Hanoi, Vietnam, is also glad to rejoin the nationals after suffering a shoulder injury last year.</p><p>&quot;Each year, every time I come back here, it&#x27;s always a privilege to represent my country. I was telling Jack that each year I come back, I mature more,&quot; the daughter of former national team member Chris Bade shared.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s not just about scoring, it&#x27;s the experience, the bonding with my teammates, because not a lot can say they can represent the country, it&#x27;s a privilege and an honor.&quot;</p><p>Roman, meanwhile, ends an eight-year wait as she finally gets her turn to don the Philippine jersey once more.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/07/23/gilas-women-aquino-happy-to-coach-incredible-dela-rosa">Gilas Women: Aquino happy to coach &#x27;incredible&#x27; Dela Rosa</a></li></ul><p>&quot;At this point in my life, it&#x27;s just really a blessing I am thankful for. I didn&#x27;t expect to be back. It&#x27;s been eight years since I&#x27;ve been back,&quot; Roman, who first represented the country in 2015, said. </p><p>&quot;To be able to play the sport that gave so much to me and to pay it forward means so much to me. I&#x27;m not young anymore, but not old, so this is a really special moment for me.&quot;</p><p>Completing the Jones Cup-bound roster are Afril Bernardino, Monique Del Carmen, Louna Ozar, Janine Pontejos, Andrea Tongco, and Dela Rosa&#x27;s Blue Eagles teammate Jhazmin Joson.</p><p>The country will face Iran, two Chinese Taipei teams, and a club each from Japan and South Korea in the five-day tournament.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/01/23/de-jesus-suffers-knee-injury-out-for-ncaa-season">Vanessa De Jesus suffers knee injury, out for NCAA season</a></li></ul><p>Technically a club competition, the Jones Cup has more relaxed player eligibility rules, and Aquino is taking advantage of the opportunity to test more combinations as he prepares his squad for the Asian Games in September.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s more of good and bad problems for me. The thing is we have many choices now. If you saw the practice, everybody was competing. It was a good positive sight for everybody. Everybody wanted to play,&quot; he mentioned.</p><p>&quot;With that kind of intensity and practice, mas gagaling kami. &#x27;Yun ang purpose naman nito.&quot;</p><p>After the Jones Cup, Gilas Women will also head to South Korea at the end of the month to face some local clubs.</p><p>With the Asian Games expected to have the same player eligibility policy as that of the SEA Games, Aquino thinks having a good mix of locals and Fil-Ams will allow Gilas Women to form a competitive lineup.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/01/23/animam-bernardino-headline-gilas-women-for-jones-cup">Animam, Bernardino headline Jones Cup-bound Gilas Women</a></li></ul><p>&quot;With the likes of Sofia, Gabi, and Stef, I think we are just happy we have all those players, mixing them with the locals makes us better. To be frank, I think with Kacey and Jack coming together, we get taller, with Malia being there also. Lumaki at bumata tayo,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;More or less, ito na &#x27;yung magiging future. The succession is coming. Nag-shu-shuffle na tayo ng players for the next few years to come.&quot;</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4-lXkR7cMDQ?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><br/> </div>

Jack Animam and Kacey Dela Rosa join forces to create a formidable frontcourt combination for the Gilas Pilipinas Women's national team.