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The 2024 WNBA All-Star Game watch party in Estancia, July 21, 2024. Handout/TapDMV and WNBA

The 2024 WNBA All-Star Game watch party in Estancia, July 21, 2024

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2024 WNBA All-Star Game

Camille Naredo

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- With women&#x27;s basketball in the United States surging in popularity, stakeholders in the Philippines are looking to ride the wave.</p><p>The entry of high-profile rookies such as Indiana&#x27;s Caitlin Clark and Chiacgo&#x27;s Angel Reese has driven interest in the WNBA, building on the gains made in recent years as well as the work done in the past two decades by the league&#x27;s trailblazers.</p><p>Ratings and game attendance are rising steadily and on Saturday [Sunday, Manila time], over 16,000 fans showed up at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona to watch the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game.</p><p>Members of the Philippine women&#x27;s national basketball team had the chance to watch the game together in a watch party hosted by TapDMV in Estancia Mall -- and they were treated to a fun show by the best players in the world.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/7/22/gilas-women-at-wnba-all-star-game-watch-party-1542">IN PHOTOS: Gilas Women at WNBA All-Star Game watch party</a></div><p>Clark and Reese teamed up for Team WNBA, but it was Dallas&#x27; Arike Ogunbowale who stole the show by scoring an All-Star Game record 34 points in their win over Team USA.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1721667111718WNBA-50.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Gilas Pilipinas Women coach Pat Aquino during the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game watch party in Estancia, July 21, 2024. Handout/TapDMV and WNBA"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Gilas Pilipinas Women coach Pat Aquino during the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game watch party in Estancia, July 21, 2024. <em>Handout/TapDMV and WNBA</em></span></span></span></div><p>&quot;Incredible. It&#x27;s an awesome feeling na we have this watch party for WNBA,&quot; Gilas Pilipinas Women coach Pat Aquino told reporters after the game.</p><p>&quot;Sabi ko nga, we want to ride on what&#x27;s happening in the States. Then maybe, it can lift up women&#x27;s basketball here in the Philippines also,&quot; he added.</p><p>In the Philippines, women&#x27;s basketball has made strides in recent years as well, fueled by the Gilas Women&#x27;s exploits at the international level. Players such as Jack Animam, Afril Bernardino, and Janine Pontejos rose to prominence after they powered the Philippines to a gold medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games at home.</p><p>The finals series between National University and the University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP Season 86 women&#x27;s basketball tournament also delivered, with the Golden Tigresses dethroning the Lady Bulldogs in a Game 3 classic.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/06/23/uaap-ust-women-dethrone-nu-clinch-first-title-since-06">READ: UST women dethrone NU, clinch first title since ‘06</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/06/23/kent-pastrana-delivers-on-championship-promise-for-ust">READ: Pastrana delivers on championship promise for UST</a></div><p>But Aquino acknowledges that women&#x27;s basketball in the Philippines has plenty more steps to take. In particular, the coach believes that there are lessons that can be learned from how Clark and Reese have taken audiences by storm.</p><p>&quot;Talagang we have to have that,&quot; Aquino said of the rivalry between Reese and Clark -- one that started when they were in college and continued now that they are in the WNBA.</p><p>&quot;Without any rivalry in such, not in teams but [also] in personality, kailangan natin ng medyo kaunting twist eh,&quot; he explained. &quot;Kailangan may kaunting ano eh, kaunting drama.&quot;</p><p>&quot;So I think that&#x27;s the best thing that we could have also here, so that we could have that atmosphere also that they have there,&quot; he added.</p><p>Animam, the former National U standout and now a mainstay for the Gilas Women, hailed Clark and Reese for &quot;elevating the game&quot; but stressed that the Philippines must take it step by step in order for women&#x27;s basketball in the country to reach the same heights.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/5/4/welcome-to-the-wnba-s-caitlin-clark-era-1409">READ: A sellout for a WNBA exhibition game? Welcome to the league&#x27;s Caitlin Clark era</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/5/13/caitlin-clark-the-focus-of-talks-about-race-and-double-standards-in-sports-1543">READ: Caitlin Clark, much like Larry Bird, the focus of talks about race and double standards in sports</a></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1721667149998WNBA-91.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Gilas Pilipinas Women star Jack Animam talks to reporters after the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game watch party in Estancia, July 21, 2024. Handout/TapDMV and WNBA"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Gilas Pilipinas Women star Jack Animam talks to reporters after the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game watch party in Estancia, July 21, 2024. <em>Handout/TapDMV and WNBA</em></span></span></span></div><p>&quot;You know I always say this, na we really need to have something na sustainable, and talagang for pro women&#x27;s basketball. Hindi lang siya pwedeng one-time thing. It should be talagang for the longer, for the long run,&quot; said Animam.</p><p>&quot;Kasi look at the WNBA, it started at what, 1996, &#x27;97? And just now na ngayon lang nila nakukuha &#x27;yung attention that they deserve,&quot; she pointed out.</p><p>&quot;So imagine if we start -- start small and then slowly, but surely, we will make it big. Ang hirap kasi if we start na, ito agad &#x27;yung gusto natin. It won&#x27;t happen like that. It should be really unti-unti ang talagang we have progress every year or every day, and I think hindi malabong ma-achieve natin &#x27;yun, especially with the community that we have here in the Philippines.&quot;</p><p>There have been efforts to put up women&#x27;s basketball leagues -- both in the 3x3 and the 5-on-5 -- but so far the long-term sustainability that Animam is hoping for has not been realized. Like other top players before her, Animam has been plying her trade overseas in an effort to continue her basketball career.</p><p>But with women&#x27;s basketball in the United States on a steady rise and the Gilas Women consistently performing well in FIBA events, Animam has hope that the success will soon be duplicated at the domestic level.</p><p>&quot;I hope people continue to support and recognize women&#x27;s basketball, kasi you&#x27;ll never go wrong sa women&#x27;s basketball. The investment is worth it,&quot; she said.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="3063516"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><div><br/></div>

<p>With women's basketball in the United States surging in popularity, stakeholders in the Philippines are looking to ride the wave.</p>

With women's basketball in the United States surging in popularity, stakeholders in the Philippines are looking to ride the wave.

Gilas coach hopes to see rivalries, drama in PH women's hoops

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Gilas coach hopes to see rivalries, drama in PH women's hoops

Camille Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 23, 2024 12:38 AM PHT

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Updated Jul 23, 2024 12:53 AM PHT

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abssports

basketball

WNBA

women's basketball

Gilas Pilipinas Women

Gilas Women

Jack Animam

Pat Aquino

Angel Reese

Caitlin Clark

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