Fate brings UAAP champions Raiza Palmera-Dy and Allana Lim back in the same fold as women’s basketball gets first professional league in the country in the form of the WMPBL.
The establishment of the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League opened doors not just for young players, that is the up-and-coming cream of the crop for Filipina basketball. The WMPBL has also given life to those who previously didn’t have the opportunity to pursue the sport they love.
For the likes of players-turned-coaches like Raiza Palmera-Dy and Allana Lim, they find themselves back in active play under the banner of Discovery Perlas in the WMPBL, following years of having to make ends meet outside of basketball.
Despite now coaching on opposite ends of the court in the UAAP, with Palmera-Dy taking the reigns in FEU while Lim is serving as deputy to Haydee Ong in UST, the duo is back in the fold and together once again — after winning a championship in 2011 with the Lady Tamaraws.
Despite losing in their opening game to a more conditioned and younger UST Growling Tigresses squad, 82-67, it was a game that they will always cherish and remember.
[RELATED: Ged Austria tells UST ‘don’t take opportunity for granted’ as Growling Tigresses win in WMPBL debut]
“Ako, ang most special and memorable sa akin sa first game na ‘to siguro yung makasama ko yung former teammate ko, [si Allana],” Palmera-Dy told One Sports.
“From being my teammate sa FEU and then sa national team and then pareho kami ngayon na coaching diffirent teams sa UAAP, tapos now back to teammates naman kami,” she added.
Palmera-Dy and Lim were both in their prime during their college days, where they built a women’s basketball dynasty in Morayta. The partnership culminated with a championship in Palmera-Dy’s final year in 2011.
And while Lim got to repeat as champions in 2012 without Palmera-Dy, she admitted that it was a different feeling when she got to share the court with her fellow veteran once again.
“Syempre [highlight yung] maging kakampi ko ulit si Raiza. Palagi kong nilo-look forward na sa mga competitions, mapa-local or abroad, gusto ko palagi ko siyang kakampi,” said Lim.
The duo’s chemistry was readily apparent from tip off, as one of their first plays was an alley-oop pass from Palmera-Dy to Lim. But while it was a joy to relish old times, Palmera-Dy said that when it came to their next game, it was back to business, especially after going 0-1.
“Sa following games namin di na kami papayag na sa matatalo kami ng other teams. But it’s… again, it was very nice to compete with the defending champions last year [sa UAAP],” said Palmera-Dy.
Lim hit the ground running in their opening game in the WMPBL, finishing with 17 points, nine rebounds, and four assists in the losing effort. Meanwhile, Palmera-Dy sought to be more of a floor general with four points, two rebounds, and nine assists.
Discovery Perlas lagged behind against the Growling Tigresses when they were outscored, 21-10, in the second quarter of the game.
Karylle Sierba paced UST in the win with 14 markers for the collegiate squad.