National team OG Raiza Palmera-Dy thinks there’s untapped potential that can be discovered through the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
Women’s basketball icon Raiza Palmera-Dy is excited to see the next generation of Filipina hoopers realize their potential as she suits up for Discovery Perlas for the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
The latest try at establishing a professional league for women’s basketball in the country, the WMPBL will be a smudge pot of talent from across the country which can prove to be fertile breeding ground for the best and brightest for Gilas Pilipinas.
Though still playing, Palmera-Dy has also transitioned to a mentorship role, serving as the head coach of the FEU Lady Tamaraws in the UAAP.
Getting to see the latest talent up close and personal, Palmera-Dy said that she’s eager to see what else the future holds for women’s basketball.
“Actually malaking impact talaga to [sa national team] kasi almost lahat ng generations na napagdaanan namin, nandito na lahat eh, up to until kami. I think kami na yung oldest dito eh, yung veterans,” Palmera-Dy told One Sports.
“Napakalaking eye opener sa lahat ng women’s basketball players. At the same time yung SBP and yung government natin natutulungan din na baka mayroon mga potential athletes din dyan na women’s basketball player na maka-join sa national theme na di pa nation naddiscover, so malaking bagay to,” she added.
Palmera-Dy, already a mother of three, served the national team after her college days with FEU in the early 2010s. Then known as Perlas Pilipinas, Palmera-Dy and her contemporaries laid the foundations for what the program is today.
Her teammate Allana Lim is also playing for Discovery Perlas in the WMPBL, and shared excitement as well — including girls who are like Palmera-Dy’s daughters.
Now that they have a platform where they can see high-level basketball players competing as women, Lim believes they can be inspired to take up the sport.
“Ako naman, naiisip ko, nae-excite ako para sa mga anak ni Raiza. Sana, isa man lang sa kanila, makapaglaro. Maabutan namin, makita namin, or ma-coach namin maglaro sa WMPBL,” said Lim.
Both she and Palmera-Dy were among the pioneers for women’s basketball, but hardly had opportunities here in the Philippines once they wrapped up their college careers in FEU. Now that they’re still playing in the latest push for women empowerment, they’re eager to make the most of it.
“Yun sabi ko nga kay Alliana, nung nagk-kwentuhan kami, parang it’s very nice na naabutan namin itong inaugural season ng WMPBL and we’re really grateful. But at the end of the day, sabi ko nga sa kanya, parang maging part na lang tayo ng process. Maabutan na lang tayo ng mga young ones, na ngayon na kami nagc-coach na kami, masaya na kami na maging part nitong inaugural [season] nitong WMPBL,” said Palmera-Dy.
“Kaya nagpapa-salamat talaga kami sa ayun nga kay Coach Haydee Ong, kay senator Manny [Pacquiao], and all the sponsors kay senator [Francis] Tolentino na andiyan sumusuporta na naniniwala sa amin,” she added.