Former national team stalwart Allana Lim believes that the rest of the field can catch up to Discovery Perlas and other powerhouses in the WMPBL.
There are a lot of growing pains in a start-up league, and a lot of them have to do with lopsided games and disparity among teams. After three game days, it seems that the challenge is similar in the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
For ex-national team player Allana Lim, who scored 36 points and inhaled 12 rebounds in Discovery Perlas’ 108-60 win over the Imus Lady Magdalo, it’s a necessary evil that each team has to go through in order to raise the bar.
Even Discovery themselves, after suffering a loss to the UST Growling Tigresses in their first game, needed the nudge to get themselves going.
Home to a number of veteran players, like Raiza Palmera-Dy, Tantoy Ferrer, and Nikki Villasin, Discovery had much more to show than the opening-day loss.
“Unang una, eto yung bounce back na gusto naming mangyari and we’re raising the bar talaga. Alam naman natin na yung Discovery, yun yung standard ng paglalaro,” she said.
As for the other teams, it would always be a challenge to go toe-to-toe with the likes of more seasoned players like Lim.
But Lim isn’t one to discourage, rather, she is looking forward for the other teams — especially those from the provinces and have lesser known players — to continue working on their craft.
“Like what I’ve said, yung Discovery talagang high standard and gusto namin na ipakita sa kanila na and magbigay na motivation na kayang kaya naman nila talagang sumabay it’s just you know, kailangan yung hard work natin, yung disiplina,” she said.
After all, it’ll only benefit everyone in the WMPBL if the teams continue to grow and improve as the season goes along.
“Sa nakakaalam, yung mga players ng Discovery, former national athlete din naman. Kaya you know, kailangan i-set natin yung mataas na standard para sa betterment nitong WMPBL,” said Lim.
Lim and Discovery’s win over Imus was only the second 100-point game in the WMPBL, with the first one having been the Galeries Tower Skyrisers’ 102-46 win over the CEU Lady Scorpions.
Much like Lim, CEU head coach Janine Pontejos mirrored the sentiments where they want to see the underdogs fight harder to get to the level of their opponents.
[RELATED: Gilas star Janine Pontejos satisfied to see CEU Lady Scorpions show fight despite 56-point loss in WMPBL debut]
Currently, the WMPBL features 14 teams — four of which are from the collegiate ranks — in the first-ever WMPBL Invitational which serves as a prelude to the league’s first professional season in June.