History is now within reach for the Philippines.
The Gilas Pilipinas Women’s 3×3 team secured a place in the gold medal game of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after beating Thailand, 13-8, in the semifinals Friday at the Kinjo Futo Station Square Venue.
It is already a landmark achievement for Philippine basketball, with the Filipinas making their first-ever appearance in women’s 3×3 at the Asian Games and now standing just one win away from the country’s first 3×3 gold medal.
The Philippines imposed its style on Thailand through relentless defense and rebounding, holding the Thais to just 24 percent shooting from the field while winning the battle off the glass, 20-17.
Maria Pasilang led the Filipinas with five points and seven rebounds, while Kacey Dela Rosa added four points and three boards.
Kennan Ka chipped in three points, including the team’s lone two-point shot, while Amyah Espanol added one point and five rebounds.
The Filipinas also successfully limited Thailand’s leading scorers, with Kwanjira Panted finishing with four points and Palida Naumkong adding three.
For Espanol, the key was recognizing Thailand’s adjustments and responding immediately.
“Well, we play each other a lot, so we knew they were gonna make a lot of adjustments to how we play, and us as well.”
The defensive effort remained a major strength, but Espanol knows the Filipinas still have room to improve offensively ahead of the championship game.
“I still think our defense is really good this game. It’s just we just have to do a better job executing our offense.”
Now comes the biggest challenge of all.
The Philippines will face host Japan in the gold medal match at 7:00 p.m. Japan time, or 6:00 p.m. in the Philippines.
Japan advanced to the championship game after beating South Korea, 19-8, in the other semifinal.
For the Filipinas, a historic debut has already turned into a chance to create an even bigger piece of Philippine basketball history.
One more win, and this first Asian Games women’s 3×3 campaign could end with gold. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
