in the past, basketball careers of women players usually come to an end as soon as they’re done playing in college.
They would bank on their educational accomplishment and basketball stops from there.
That is until the Women’s National Basketball League put up a sanctuary for these cagebelles, who have a chance to make a career while continuously playing the game they loved.
Such is the case for the former La Salle cagebelles, who saw an opportunity to become the first batch of lady ballers to have a play-for-pay experience as professional basketball players as beginning this year, they will relish that experience while playing in the WNBL.
“It’s a dream come true for women’s ballers,” said Camille Claro, picked second overall in the first WNBL Draft. “After college, you now have something to look up to and we now have a professional league. Before, after college, parang end na ng basketball career mo (as a lady baller) and thankful kami sa WNBL.”
Claro is the other half of the “Splash Sisters”, a moniker coined for her and fellow Lady Archer Khate Castillo, for their ability to make buckets from beyond the arc.
Castillo is happy to be reunited with Claro in the WNBL as they will play both for the Glutagence Glow Boosters.
“‘Yun naman talaga ‘yung pinapangaap ng mga Pinay ballers,” added Castillo, a member of the gold medal winning Philippine women’s basketball team in the Southeast Asian Games in Manila. She was selected third overall in the recent WNBL Draft.
Another former La Salle stalwart, the burly but shifty Snow Peñaranda, was drafted by Pacific Water.
Now working as a fitness instructor, Peñaranda’s prayers were answered when a league of their own for the women ballers was created.
“Pinagpi-pray talaga namin ‘yan,” said Peñaranda, the bruising forward. “Nandito na kami, first step na ito, so hindi na namin ito palalagpasin. Ipapakita namin sa buong Pilipinas na kayang maglaro ng basketball ng mga babae.”
Former PBA player Cholo Villanueva, who coached these cagebelles at La Salle in the UAAP, is proud to see his wards being given the opportunity to showcase their wares in the big league and embark on a new career that could change the landscape of women’s basketball in the country.
“I’m very proud of them. All the hours that they’ve been practicing their skills, all the sacrifices that they’re making throughout their lives, now it’s paying off for them. Not only these professional players, but also the professional people who have been in our program like doctors and engineers and are now very successful in their old field. Before, when I was recruiting, I was saying to them that you need a good education to have a good life. Now, I can add that with our program, you can be professional players as we’ve developed these kinds of players after their playing years with us. I’m very proud of them,” said Villanueva.
